AUGUST 27-30, 2009 THURSDAY-SUNDAY SCRIPTURE MATTHEW 25
TEXT http://net.bible.org/bible.php?book=Mat&chapter=25
MESSAGE
Jesus tells his disciples three more stories to illustrate what the kingdom of heaven will be like when He returns in Judgment at the end of time.
“Wise vs Foolish Preparation”
He says the kingdom of heaven is like ten virgins who go out to meet a bridegroom with five virgins wisely preparing for the wait because they bring extra oil to keep their lamps lit, with five virgins foolishly preparing because they fail to bring extra oil for their lamps such that they start to extinguish while they sleep during the period of waiting.
When announced at midnight the bridegroom has arrived and the virgins wake up, the foolish unprepared virgins ask the wise prepared virgins for oil to keep their lamps lit but are told there isn’t enough to go around and that they need to go and buy some. But while off buying oil the bridegroom comes and the prepared wise virgins enter the wedding banquet with the unprepared foolish virgins returning after the door has been closed. When they call out for the bridegroom to open the door for them, he responds by telling them he doesn’t know them.
Jesus ends this story with the same warning he has previously given in the stories he has told about the day of Noah, those working in the field or grinding grain, the thief who comes in the middle of the night, and the servants put in charge of the master’s household, i.e. be prepared because you don’t know when his second coming will occur.
“Wise vs Foolish Management”
Jesus went on to illustrate what the kingdom of heaven will be like when He returns with a story about a man who before going on a journey gives three of his servants different sums of money to manage based on their ability. When the man returns after being gone a long time he meets with his servants to review what they have done with the money they were given to manage.
The servant who had been given $5000 managed it wisely and doubled it to $10,000 and the servant who had been given $2000 also doubled his money to $4000 by managing it wisely. Being very pleased with these servants faithful management of a few things, the master put them in charge of many things which allowed them to share in his happiness as well.
However, the third servant who had been given $1000, considering the master a hard man who profited from the work of others, was afraid, because either way, if he mismanaged the money and lost it or if he managed it well and increased it, he felt exploited by the master. Therefore he hid the money while the master was away and returned it to him without even having deposited the money in a bank to obtain interest which wouldn’t have required any work or effort on his part at all.
Because of this the master gave the servant’s $1000 to the servant with $10000 saying that whoever has will be given more to the point of having an abundance and whoever doesn’t have, whatever they have taken away and they will be thrown outside the kingdom of heaven into the darkness where they will suffer.
“Heartfelt Brotherly Love vs Neglect”
In his final story illustrating what the kingdom of heaven will be like when He returns, Jesus describes sitting on his throne in glory, surrounded by all the angels, with all the people of the world gathered before him.
And just as at the end of the day a shepherd separates the flock by placing the sheep on his right and the goats on his left, Jesus as King tells those on his right they have been blessed by His Father with entry into the kingdom prepared for them since creation because without realizing it, the help they have given his disciples when they have been hungry, thirsty, homeless, sick, naked, and/or in prison – they have done for him.
Then Jesus as King tells those on his left they are cursed with entrance into Hell because without realizing it, their neglect of his disciples when they have been hungry, thirsty, homeless, sick, naked, and/or in prison – has been their neglect of him.
Jesus ends by telling those who neglected his disciples with cold hearts they will be eternally punished in hell and those who helped his disciples with loving hearts they will live eternally in the kingdom of heaven.
TEACHING
Jesus tells his disciples three more stories about: (1) wise & foolish preparation, (2) wise and foolish management and (3) heartfelt brotherly love & neglect in further illustrating what the kingdom of heaven will be like when He returns on Judgment Day.
His illustration about wise & foolish preparation is told using a wedding story in which ten bridesmaids are waiting to escort the bridegroom, who is delayed in coming from the bride’s house, to his house where the celebration is to formally begin. In the story, Jesus is the bridegroom and those who have wisely prepared for the delay in the bridegroom’s coming are those who have prepared over their lifetimes for his return at any moment – at the midnight hour like when the thief in the night comes. On the other hand, those who have foolishly prepared for the delay in the bridegroom’s coming such that their running out of oil was causing their lamps to go out would be viewed as imposters crashing the wedding ceremony, are those who have not prepared over their lifetimes for his return at any moment – at the midnight hour. Those who have prepared over their lifetimes for Jesus to return at any moment, like the five bridesmaids who enter the wedding banquet before the door is closed, will enter the kingdom of heaven. However, those who have not prepared over their lifetimes for Jesus to return at any moment, like the five bridesmaids who after running out to buy oil came back to a closed banquet door, will be told by Jesus that he doesn’t know them and the door to the kingdom of heaven will remain closed to them despite their desperate pleas for it to be opened.
His illustration about wise and foolish management is told using a story about a master who returns from a long journey and reviews how his three servants have done managing the differing sums of money they were left in charge of (based on their abilities) while he was gone. Two of the servants faithfully manage the money left to them with one servant doubling $5000 to $10000 and the other servant doubling $2000 to $4000. Being very pleased with these servant’s management of small matters the master not only places them in charge of managing larger matters but allows them to share in his happiness. However, the third servant who had received substantially less to manage, $1000, feared the master who he felt would exploit him no matter what the outcome of his efforts would be, i.e. if he lost money in managing it his efforts wouldn’t be appreciated and if he gained money in managing it his efforts likewise wouldn’t be appreciated. Paralyzed by fear, the third servant did nothing productive and instead hid the money, returning the exact amount he had been given to the master upon his return. This resulted in the master scolding him for not even making the effort to get simple interest on the money from the bank. The master took this servant’s $1000 and gave it to the servant with $10000. Jesus makes his point through the master’s words that being prepared for his return doesn’t involve playing it safe like the servant who was paralyzed with fear, but instead producing results for the kingdom of heaven by growing and developing the gifts and resources given to us by God.
Jesus’ final illustration about heartfelt brotherly love & neglect uses a story about a shepherd separating the sheep from the goats at the end of the day’s grazing with the sheep going to the shepherd’s right and the goat’s going to the shepherd’s left. He uses this analogy to represent how at the end of time when he returns on his throne, surrounded by all the angels, as Judge over all people, he too will separate the righteous from the unrighteous. The righteous (those having hearts of love, who aren’t consciously aware they’ve doing anything special, whose care of his disciples when they’ve been hungry, thirsty, homeless, sick, naked, and/or in prison has been the same as caring for him) will go to his right and be blessed to eternal life in the kingdom of heaven. And, the unrighteous (those having cold hearts and who aren’t consciously aware they’ve done nothing wrong by neglecting his disciples when they’ve been hungry, thirsty, homeless, sick, naked and/or in prison has been the same as neglecting him) will go to the left and be cursed to eternal punishment in hell.
HEALING
Our Father in Heaven, we thank You for Your Word and for these stories Your Son tells us about how to prepare for His return. We thank you LORD for knowledge that we need to prepare for Your Son’s return by the way we live our life, that when midnight arrives for us it will be too late to buy oil, light our lamps, greet the bridegroom and enter the banquet hall before the door closes. LORD, we ask that through the power of Your Holy Spirit not only would our lamps be lit, but remain powerfully lit so they would shine brightly for others to see and help lead them to preparation before midnight arrives in their lives.
Our Father in Heaven, forgive us for all the times we have lived like the servant who hid the money given to him by his master rather than multiplying the gifts and resources You have given us to build up the kingdom of heaven. LORD, You are Almighty and All Powerful. Your Son fed 5000 and 4000 with just a few loaves and a few fish. Help the unbelief in our minds that paralyzes us from serving You and others as Your Son promised we are capable of doing with faith the size of a mustard seed.
Our Father in Heaven, transform our hearts and our minds through the Sacrifice Your Son made for us. LORD, change us through this, Your Love, so that out of our heart can flow acts of mercy and love as well, acts of compassion for your disciples who are in need and acts of compassion for our neighbors who are in need as well. LORD, Your Son came to the least of these, the outcasts, the rejected, the meek, the lonely – to Liberate the oppressed. Heal us through Your mercy, forgiveness and grace so that we may be agents of healing in this world and through acts of kindness and compassion, preach this Liberating Gospel until Your Son’s return.
In His Name, Amen.
SONG 'Sheep And The Goats, The' by Keith Green @imeem http://x.imeem.com/vyUDMDNVGZ
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
ENDURE TO THE COSMIC END
AUGUST 24-26, 2009 TUESDAY SCRIPTURE MATTHEW 24
TEXT http://net.bible.org/bible.php?book=Mat&chapter=24
MESSAGE
“Cut Down”
After lamenting over the people of Jerusalem for misunderstanding Scripture, rejecting the Son of God, and turning the keys to the kingdom into a house of cards, Jesus responds to his disciples’ admiration of the temple buildings the same way he did to the religious leader’s self-admiration – with condemnation, saying the stones, like the building’s leaders, will be cut down.
“Signs”
Moving from the temple buildings to the Mount of Olives, the disciples asked Jesus when the buildings will be destroyed and what signs will indicate his return for Judgment Day. Jesus warns his disciples not to be alarmed by the coming of false Christ’s who mislead many people, nor about the coming wars, famines, or natural disasters that are part of the sufferings that will precede His return.
“Endurance”
Jesus tells his disciples that a sign of his return will include them (and all who believe in him) suffering hatred, persecution, betrayal, and even death at the hands of other nations, as well as those whose hearts grow cold as a result of becoming deceived by false prophets. He tells his disciples that those whose faith endures such suffering will be saved and that the gospel will be proclaimed as a testimony throughout the earth before he returns in Judgment.
“Abomination”
Referring to “the abomination of desolation” spoken of by Daniel (Daniel 9:27) - a prophecy thought fulfilled in 167 b.c. when Antiochus IV sacrificed a pig on a pagan altar to Zeus in the Jerusalem Temple - Jesus warns of a new abomination involving the Temple that will involve greater suffering than ever before seen - either referring to the Roman destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple in 70 a.d. or the great tribulation associated with the end of times - that if not cut short for the sake of believers would destroy everyone present in Jerusalem or on earth at the end times. Jesus says not to be confused by either the claims or locations of false Christs or prophets because this will happen so suddenly there will be no time to prepare because it will be over and done with in the time it take a bolt of lightening to flash across the sky and at that point it will be as obvious as a gathering of vultures that He has returned.
“Cosmic Coming”
Jesus tells them that immediately following this suffering, cosmic events will occur to signal his arrival, causing those on earth responsible for persecuting his disciples to mourn. He tells them he will arrive with great power and glory on the clouds of heaven so it is unmistakable to the world he has returned from his resurrection and ascension to consummate his kingdom by calling his believers out from the world’s mourners by an angelic trumpet blast.
“Story 1: Fig Tree”
Jesus then tells four stories to illustrate how his return will be at the end of times. The first is a story of analogy between being able to tell summer is near based on the tender branches and budding leaves of the fig tree and being able to see that his return is imminent based on signs he has just spoken of. He tells them their generation will not pass away before these signs begin happening and that his words have the authority and validity of God.
“Story 2: Unprepared”
Jesus’ second story had to do with the importance of being ready for his return at all times unlike the people during Noah’s time who were living life as usual when the flood came and washed them away while Noah was safe inside the arc and unlike two men in a field or two women grinding grain where one was taken and the other left behind.
“Story 3: Nighttime Thief”
Jesus’ third story about being ready for his return came with a warning to be alert because he will come unexpectedly like a thief during the night – stating that if the owner of a house knew when a thief was coming he would take precautions and be ready for him, but this never happens.
“Story 4: Faithful Slave”
In Jesus’ final story about being ready for his return he asks who the faithful and wise slave is – the one who takes care of his master’s household by being kind and caring for others in the household when left in charge by his master or the one who doesn’t take care of his master’s household and is cruel and doesn’t care for others in the household because he doesn’t expect his master to return for a long time? The faithful slave is put in charge of all the master’s possessions while the unfaithful slave is cut in two and assigned a place with the hypocrites – the place of eternal suffering.
TEACHING
Jesus has to change emotional gears - from compassionately lamenting over the fate of the people of Jerusalem who have rejected him and are planning his crucifixion – to condemn the temple buildings his disciples were admiring because the seven condemnations he has just pronounced against the building’s leaders for their self-admiration hadn’t been processed yet by the disciples.
Asking when his condemnation of the buildings would be result in their destruction and what the sign of his return for Judgment Day would be, Jesus told the disciples there would not only be the suffering everyone will experience related to wars, famines, and natural disasters, but the hatred, persecution, betrayal, and death his believers will suffer and need to endure in order for the gospel to be proclaimed throughout the world prior to his return.
Jesus tells them of a sign greater than the abominable prophetic sign of Daniel fulfilled in 167 b.c when Antiochus IV sacrificed an unclean pig on a pagan altar he made to Zeus in the Jerusalem Temple. He tells them that the greater abomination serving as a prophetic sign and giving indication that the end days have begun will be when Rome comes to destroy Jerusalem and the Temple in 70 a.d – a precursor to the great tribulation that will occur at the end of times - in both situations if the destruction was not stopped for the sake of those who believe, total destruction would otherwise occur. Jesus says that false Christs and prophets won’t be able to create confusion when he returns and at that point it will be too late to prepare because he will come as fast as a blot of lightening which will leave no question he is back.
Jesus tells them his return will be a cosmic event in which his return in power and glory on the clouds will be unmistakable and accompanied by angelic trumpet blasts that will call out his believers from those responsible for persecuting them on earth who will be in mourning.
Jesus illustrates his answer to his disciple’s question about the signs of his return with four brief stories. In one, he tells them how the tender branches and budding leaves of a fig tree serve as signs summer is near just like the authoritative words of God he has spoken serve as signs this disciples will not die before what he has said start to happen. In another, he tells them of those who were washed away in the flood during Noah’s day because they weren’t prepared when it started raining and how therefore in the same way when he returns it will be too late to prepare. In yet another, he tells them in the same way a thief doesn’t announce when he is coming so that precautions can be taken against him, he will come unannounced and without warning so the only thing to do is to be ready at all times - something his final story is about, a servant, who despite not knowing when his master will be returning, takes good care of the household and is kind and caring to others in the household and as a result is put in charge of all his master’s possessions vs an unfaithful servant who does the exact opposite and because of this is cut in two (like the building stones) and is given a place like the hypocrites (like the religious leaders) – the place outside kingdom of heaven where the man without wedding clothes was thrown, the place of total darkness and eternal suffering.
HEALING
Our Father in Heaven, We adore You above all things - not stones, not buildings, not ourselves.
Our Father in Heaven, Forgive us when we do not praise You above all. Cut us down to size. Reduce our egos to rubble like the stones of the Jerusalem Temple and the religious leader’s pride when we need to be humbled. Show us our false pride and remove it. Comfort us through this painful process so we change and Adore You alone.
Our Father in Heaven, Help us to understand the suffering in our lives and the lives of others. Help us to understand how suffering is a sign that Your Son’s return has begun and how hatred, persecution, betrayal, and death for Your Son’s Name sake are to be endured to the End of Time as the Gospel is spread to the Ends of the Earth.
Our Father in Heaven, We pray for the power of Your Spirit to help us endure to the End and to be able to live the life of a faithful servant, managing Your household with kindness, caring for others by taking the Gospel to all nations through obedience to Your Son’s Commission to us.
In Jesus Name, Amen.
SONG 'Elijah Op. 70 (1968 Digital Remaster): N...' by Dame Gwyneth Jones/Dame Janet Baker/Nico... @imeem http://x.imeem.com/FEzxnKYvmW
TEXT http://net.bible.org/bible.php?book=Mat&chapter=24
MESSAGE
“Cut Down”
After lamenting over the people of Jerusalem for misunderstanding Scripture, rejecting the Son of God, and turning the keys to the kingdom into a house of cards, Jesus responds to his disciples’ admiration of the temple buildings the same way he did to the religious leader’s self-admiration – with condemnation, saying the stones, like the building’s leaders, will be cut down.
“Signs”
Moving from the temple buildings to the Mount of Olives, the disciples asked Jesus when the buildings will be destroyed and what signs will indicate his return for Judgment Day. Jesus warns his disciples not to be alarmed by the coming of false Christ’s who mislead many people, nor about the coming wars, famines, or natural disasters that are part of the sufferings that will precede His return.
“Endurance”
Jesus tells his disciples that a sign of his return will include them (and all who believe in him) suffering hatred, persecution, betrayal, and even death at the hands of other nations, as well as those whose hearts grow cold as a result of becoming deceived by false prophets. He tells his disciples that those whose faith endures such suffering will be saved and that the gospel will be proclaimed as a testimony throughout the earth before he returns in Judgment.
“Abomination”
Referring to “the abomination of desolation” spoken of by Daniel (Daniel 9:27) - a prophecy thought fulfilled in 167 b.c. when Antiochus IV sacrificed a pig on a pagan altar to Zeus in the Jerusalem Temple - Jesus warns of a new abomination involving the Temple that will involve greater suffering than ever before seen - either referring to the Roman destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple in 70 a.d. or the great tribulation associated with the end of times - that if not cut short for the sake of believers would destroy everyone present in Jerusalem or on earth at the end times. Jesus says not to be confused by either the claims or locations of false Christs or prophets because this will happen so suddenly there will be no time to prepare because it will be over and done with in the time it take a bolt of lightening to flash across the sky and at that point it will be as obvious as a gathering of vultures that He has returned.
“Cosmic Coming”
Jesus tells them that immediately following this suffering, cosmic events will occur to signal his arrival, causing those on earth responsible for persecuting his disciples to mourn. He tells them he will arrive with great power and glory on the clouds of heaven so it is unmistakable to the world he has returned from his resurrection and ascension to consummate his kingdom by calling his believers out from the world’s mourners by an angelic trumpet blast.
“Story 1: Fig Tree”
Jesus then tells four stories to illustrate how his return will be at the end of times. The first is a story of analogy between being able to tell summer is near based on the tender branches and budding leaves of the fig tree and being able to see that his return is imminent based on signs he has just spoken of. He tells them their generation will not pass away before these signs begin happening and that his words have the authority and validity of God.
“Story 2: Unprepared”
Jesus’ second story had to do with the importance of being ready for his return at all times unlike the people during Noah’s time who were living life as usual when the flood came and washed them away while Noah was safe inside the arc and unlike two men in a field or two women grinding grain where one was taken and the other left behind.
“Story 3: Nighttime Thief”
Jesus’ third story about being ready for his return came with a warning to be alert because he will come unexpectedly like a thief during the night – stating that if the owner of a house knew when a thief was coming he would take precautions and be ready for him, but this never happens.
“Story 4: Faithful Slave”
In Jesus’ final story about being ready for his return he asks who the faithful and wise slave is – the one who takes care of his master’s household by being kind and caring for others in the household when left in charge by his master or the one who doesn’t take care of his master’s household and is cruel and doesn’t care for others in the household because he doesn’t expect his master to return for a long time? The faithful slave is put in charge of all the master’s possessions while the unfaithful slave is cut in two and assigned a place with the hypocrites – the place of eternal suffering.
TEACHING
Jesus has to change emotional gears - from compassionately lamenting over the fate of the people of Jerusalem who have rejected him and are planning his crucifixion – to condemn the temple buildings his disciples were admiring because the seven condemnations he has just pronounced against the building’s leaders for their self-admiration hadn’t been processed yet by the disciples.
Asking when his condemnation of the buildings would be result in their destruction and what the sign of his return for Judgment Day would be, Jesus told the disciples there would not only be the suffering everyone will experience related to wars, famines, and natural disasters, but the hatred, persecution, betrayal, and death his believers will suffer and need to endure in order for the gospel to be proclaimed throughout the world prior to his return.
Jesus tells them of a sign greater than the abominable prophetic sign of Daniel fulfilled in 167 b.c when Antiochus IV sacrificed an unclean pig on a pagan altar he made to Zeus in the Jerusalem Temple. He tells them that the greater abomination serving as a prophetic sign and giving indication that the end days have begun will be when Rome comes to destroy Jerusalem and the Temple in 70 a.d – a precursor to the great tribulation that will occur at the end of times - in both situations if the destruction was not stopped for the sake of those who believe, total destruction would otherwise occur. Jesus says that false Christs and prophets won’t be able to create confusion when he returns and at that point it will be too late to prepare because he will come as fast as a blot of lightening which will leave no question he is back.
Jesus tells them his return will be a cosmic event in which his return in power and glory on the clouds will be unmistakable and accompanied by angelic trumpet blasts that will call out his believers from those responsible for persecuting them on earth who will be in mourning.
Jesus illustrates his answer to his disciple’s question about the signs of his return with four brief stories. In one, he tells them how the tender branches and budding leaves of a fig tree serve as signs summer is near just like the authoritative words of God he has spoken serve as signs this disciples will not die before what he has said start to happen. In another, he tells them of those who were washed away in the flood during Noah’s day because they weren’t prepared when it started raining and how therefore in the same way when he returns it will be too late to prepare. In yet another, he tells them in the same way a thief doesn’t announce when he is coming so that precautions can be taken against him, he will come unannounced and without warning so the only thing to do is to be ready at all times - something his final story is about, a servant, who despite not knowing when his master will be returning, takes good care of the household and is kind and caring to others in the household and as a result is put in charge of all his master’s possessions vs an unfaithful servant who does the exact opposite and because of this is cut in two (like the building stones) and is given a place like the hypocrites (like the religious leaders) – the place outside kingdom of heaven where the man without wedding clothes was thrown, the place of total darkness and eternal suffering.
HEALING
Our Father in Heaven, We adore You above all things - not stones, not buildings, not ourselves.
Our Father in Heaven, Forgive us when we do not praise You above all. Cut us down to size. Reduce our egos to rubble like the stones of the Jerusalem Temple and the religious leader’s pride when we need to be humbled. Show us our false pride and remove it. Comfort us through this painful process so we change and Adore You alone.
Our Father in Heaven, Help us to understand the suffering in our lives and the lives of others. Help us to understand how suffering is a sign that Your Son’s return has begun and how hatred, persecution, betrayal, and death for Your Son’s Name sake are to be endured to the End of Time as the Gospel is spread to the Ends of the Earth.
Our Father in Heaven, We pray for the power of Your Spirit to help us endure to the End and to be able to live the life of a faithful servant, managing Your household with kindness, caring for others by taking the Gospel to all nations through obedience to Your Son’s Commission to us.
In Jesus Name, Amen.
SONG 'Elijah Op. 70 (1968 Digital Remaster): N...' by Dame Gwyneth Jones/Dame Janet Baker/Nico... @imeem http://x.imeem.com/FEzxnKYvmW
Saturday, August 22, 2009
DAMAGING APPEARANCES
AUGUST 22 & 23, 2009 SATURDAY & SUNDAY SCRIPTURE MATTHEW 23
TEXT http://net.bible.org/bible.php?book=Mat&chapter=23#n47
MESSAGE
Speechless and silent the Pharisees and Sadducees feared any more confrontations with Jesus, an occasion he used to tell his disciples and the gathered crowd about their responsibility to follow what they're taught from Scripture by the religious leaders due to their positions of authority but not to imitate how they live because they don’t understand the meaning of the Scriptures they preach from and thus are unable to apply them to their own lives. He told them because of their misunderstanding of Scripture they make people suffer from the burden of sin they experience because of the impossible rule book the leaders have turned Scripture into - ignoring God's forgiveness and acts of redemption and making the people responsible for their own salvation instead. He told them how the leaders make themselves look religiously superior to others by doing their good works in public, by wearing holy looking garments, by choosing the seats of honor at banquets, by taking the best seats in the synagogues, and by expecting to be greeted in public as "Teacher" or "Father". He told them the only Teacher they have is him, the Christ and the only Father they have is God, in heaven.
Then, Jesus speaks seven words of “woe” in a loud emphatic voice against the religious leaders, telling them of the anguish and misery awaiting them - rebuking them for all of this hypocrisy.
#1 He rebukes them for locking themselves and other people (who have been trying to enter) out of the kingdom of heaven by not believing he is the Christ, the Son of the Living God and leading others astray through their unbelief.
#2 He rebukes them for the great lengths they go to make someone a Pharisee but the end result is a convert whose beliefs take him farther away from the kingdom of heaven then they are.
#3 He rebukes them for being blind guides and fools in the way they make man sacred instead of God – taking people in the opposite direction from the truth in worshiping man instead of God when they make pledges and give their word.
#4 He rebukes them because for giving a tenth of what they have to God but for having cold hearts that lack justice, mercy and faithfulness – because their tithing doesn't come from a warm loving heart but instead is an obligatory act. He makes an analogy between their acts of tithing and how they try to remain ceremonially clean by filtering their drinking water to keep from swallowing a tiny little bug, while their cold hearts and inability to be just, merciful and faithful indicates they are ceremonially unclean on the level of swallowing a camel without being aware they have done so.
#5 He rebukes them for the appearance they put on for themselves and others that are false representation of who they really are on the inside - something they just can’t see. He tells them if they not only want to look good but actually be good, they must accept and address the problem inside first - a problem involving their heart.
#6 He rebukes them for their show of righteousness to other people, comparing it to the outside of tombs cleaned so that people can see where they are so they don’t accidentally step on them and become ceremonially unclean. However, despite the outside of these tombs being so thoroughly cleaned, everyone knows how unclean the insides are because of the dead bones, which is exactly how the religious leaders look on the inside because of their sin and hypocrisy - the result their look-good religion.
#7 Finally, he tells them their tomb building for the prophets, grave decorating of the righteous, and declarations that they are spiritually superior to their ancestors who killed the prophets, testifies against them and they are just as sinful as their ancestors were (given what they are planning to do). Jesus tells them they are like the offspring of Satan in what they are doing and that they won’t escape the condemnation of hell.
Jesus then summarizes what God has done in sending prophets from Abel to Zechariah and how their mistreatment, torture, killings and crucifixion serves as the measurement of sin that testifies against the religious leaders and those who have followed them in this generation who will be held responsible for everything they do.
Jesus then laments over the people of Jerusalem because of their responsibility for killing and stoning the prophets that were sent to them. He laments over their rejection of his attempts to gather them together like a hen gathers her chicks under her wings to protect them. And, he laments that there are left with temple uninhabited by God and that they won’t see him again until the end of times at which point he will return in Judgment and they will realize he is the Christ, the Son of the Living God.
TEACHING
Jesus distinguishes for his disciples and the crowd the difference between the positional authority the religious leaders have and because of this how they must listen to what they are told from the Scriptures and the hypocrisy of how the religious leaders live because they don’t understand Scripture correctly and therefore misapply it to their lives.
He tells his disciples and the crowd this has led them to a false understanding of who the greatest is in the kingdom of heaven is, one like the Gentiles, in which they lord their power and authority over people. Their religion is superficial and based on looking good and showing off to others rather than serving others like the the Christ, who they totally reject as the Son of the Living God, unlike little children who are readily able to recognize Him.
He tells them how the religious leaders have made themselves into little Teachers and Fathers, i.e. they have taken the place of Christ and God in the process of misunderstanding and misapplying Scripture in turning Scripture into a rule book – something they are far superior at following than anyone else because they spend full time doing this.
Jesus then condemns the religious leaders seven times for their misguided hypocritical use of Scripture.
He condemns them for rejecting him as the Christ and for leading others astray in this way.
He condemns them for turning a convert into someone farther from the Truth than they are.
He condemns them for worshiping man instead of God when they make a promise.
He condemns them for missing the central point of Scripture - that God loves justice and mercy and faithfulness over making superficial sacrifices to Him.
He condemns them for the false representations of who they are they give to others, for their pretending to be someone they really aren’t, for their hypocrisy.
He condemns them for their righteous representations of themselves, while on the inside they are just as sinful as everyone else.
He condemns them for pretending to be spirituality superior to their ancestors who killed the prophets when they are plotting to crucify him.
He says that the religious leaders and those who follow them will be held responsible for everything they do.
Jesus’ last public words before his arrest and crucifixion are his compassionate words of lament for the people of Jerusalem for what they have done to the prophets, for their rejection of his attempts to protect them, because God will no longer be in their temple and because they will not see him again until Judgment Day at which time they will know he is Christ, the Son of God.
HEALING
Our Father, We thank You for Your Word. And, we thank You for Your Holy Spirit that Your Son sent after He ascended to Your right hand, Your Holy Spirit that dwells within us and helps us to gain a proper understanding of Your Word so that we don’t end up being condemned by Your Son once, let alone seven times for twisting and turning Your Word into a book of rules and Your Grace into a religion of a show of looking good to others at the cost of our souls.
Our Father, We ask You to forgive us when we fail and misuse Your Word; when we lead others in the wrong direction because of this; when we worship things of man over You; when we miss the central point of Your Word, the Grace received through Your Son, instead of the work we try to do to please you; when we lack integrity and show ourselves to be one way on the outside that we really aren’t on the inside; when we put on an air of holiness that we just don’t have; and when we feel religiously, spiritually and denominationally superior to others to make ourselves feel better, rather than trusting in the value of Your Love, Your Grace and what that means about us instead.
Our Father, We have faith in the Grace we have received and justice You received through Your Son’s sacrifice on the Cross. However,we remain in need of Your mercy when we fail in these ways and Your Word, Your indwelling Holy Spirit, our relationships in the Body, and acts of justice and mercy fueled by Your Love in order to grow in Your ways and be transformed to Your will.
Our Father, We compassionately lament for those who have rejected Your Son because they have misunderstood and misused Your Word and because of this are moving themselves and others away, rather than towards You. We compassionately lament for those in this generation who persecute, torture and kill Your prophets and those who believe in Your Son as the Risen Christ and their Savior. We compassionately lament for the temples they inhabit and the Day of Judgment that lies ahead for them.
In Jesus Name, Amen.
SONG ‘Woe To You (Album Version)' by Matt Papa @imeem http://x.imeem.com/xlw8W_Vkf8
TEXT http://net.bible.org/bible.php?book=Mat&chapter=23#n47
MESSAGE
Speechless and silent the Pharisees and Sadducees feared any more confrontations with Jesus, an occasion he used to tell his disciples and the gathered crowd about their responsibility to follow what they're taught from Scripture by the religious leaders due to their positions of authority but not to imitate how they live because they don’t understand the meaning of the Scriptures they preach from and thus are unable to apply them to their own lives. He told them because of their misunderstanding of Scripture they make people suffer from the burden of sin they experience because of the impossible rule book the leaders have turned Scripture into - ignoring God's forgiveness and acts of redemption and making the people responsible for their own salvation instead. He told them how the leaders make themselves look religiously superior to others by doing their good works in public, by wearing holy looking garments, by choosing the seats of honor at banquets, by taking the best seats in the synagogues, and by expecting to be greeted in public as "Teacher" or "Father". He told them the only Teacher they have is him, the Christ and the only Father they have is God, in heaven.
Then, Jesus speaks seven words of “woe” in a loud emphatic voice against the religious leaders, telling them of the anguish and misery awaiting them - rebuking them for all of this hypocrisy.
#1 He rebukes them for locking themselves and other people (who have been trying to enter) out of the kingdom of heaven by not believing he is the Christ, the Son of the Living God and leading others astray through their unbelief.
#2 He rebukes them for the great lengths they go to make someone a Pharisee but the end result is a convert whose beliefs take him farther away from the kingdom of heaven then they are.
#3 He rebukes them for being blind guides and fools in the way they make man sacred instead of God – taking people in the opposite direction from the truth in worshiping man instead of God when they make pledges and give their word.
#4 He rebukes them because for giving a tenth of what they have to God but for having cold hearts that lack justice, mercy and faithfulness – because their tithing doesn't come from a warm loving heart but instead is an obligatory act. He makes an analogy between their acts of tithing and how they try to remain ceremonially clean by filtering their drinking water to keep from swallowing a tiny little bug, while their cold hearts and inability to be just, merciful and faithful indicates they are ceremonially unclean on the level of swallowing a camel without being aware they have done so.
#5 He rebukes them for the appearance they put on for themselves and others that are false representation of who they really are on the inside - something they just can’t see. He tells them if they not only want to look good but actually be good, they must accept and address the problem inside first - a problem involving their heart.
#6 He rebukes them for their show of righteousness to other people, comparing it to the outside of tombs cleaned so that people can see where they are so they don’t accidentally step on them and become ceremonially unclean. However, despite the outside of these tombs being so thoroughly cleaned, everyone knows how unclean the insides are because of the dead bones, which is exactly how the religious leaders look on the inside because of their sin and hypocrisy - the result their look-good religion.
#7 Finally, he tells them their tomb building for the prophets, grave decorating of the righteous, and declarations that they are spiritually superior to their ancestors who killed the prophets, testifies against them and they are just as sinful as their ancestors were (given what they are planning to do). Jesus tells them they are like the offspring of Satan in what they are doing and that they won’t escape the condemnation of hell.
Jesus then summarizes what God has done in sending prophets from Abel to Zechariah and how their mistreatment, torture, killings and crucifixion serves as the measurement of sin that testifies against the religious leaders and those who have followed them in this generation who will be held responsible for everything they do.
Jesus then laments over the people of Jerusalem because of their responsibility for killing and stoning the prophets that were sent to them. He laments over their rejection of his attempts to gather them together like a hen gathers her chicks under her wings to protect them. And, he laments that there are left with temple uninhabited by God and that they won’t see him again until the end of times at which point he will return in Judgment and they will realize he is the Christ, the Son of the Living God.
TEACHING
Jesus distinguishes for his disciples and the crowd the difference between the positional authority the religious leaders have and because of this how they must listen to what they are told from the Scriptures and the hypocrisy of how the religious leaders live because they don’t understand Scripture correctly and therefore misapply it to their lives.
He tells his disciples and the crowd this has led them to a false understanding of who the greatest is in the kingdom of heaven is, one like the Gentiles, in which they lord their power and authority over people. Their religion is superficial and based on looking good and showing off to others rather than serving others like the the Christ, who they totally reject as the Son of the Living God, unlike little children who are readily able to recognize Him.
He tells them how the religious leaders have made themselves into little Teachers and Fathers, i.e. they have taken the place of Christ and God in the process of misunderstanding and misapplying Scripture in turning Scripture into a rule book – something they are far superior at following than anyone else because they spend full time doing this.
Jesus then condemns the religious leaders seven times for their misguided hypocritical use of Scripture.
He condemns them for rejecting him as the Christ and for leading others astray in this way.
He condemns them for turning a convert into someone farther from the Truth than they are.
He condemns them for worshiping man instead of God when they make a promise.
He condemns them for missing the central point of Scripture - that God loves justice and mercy and faithfulness over making superficial sacrifices to Him.
He condemns them for the false representations of who they are they give to others, for their pretending to be someone they really aren’t, for their hypocrisy.
He condemns them for their righteous representations of themselves, while on the inside they are just as sinful as everyone else.
He condemns them for pretending to be spirituality superior to their ancestors who killed the prophets when they are plotting to crucify him.
He says that the religious leaders and those who follow them will be held responsible for everything they do.
Jesus’ last public words before his arrest and crucifixion are his compassionate words of lament for the people of Jerusalem for what they have done to the prophets, for their rejection of his attempts to protect them, because God will no longer be in their temple and because they will not see him again until Judgment Day at which time they will know he is Christ, the Son of God.
HEALING
Our Father, We thank You for Your Word. And, we thank You for Your Holy Spirit that Your Son sent after He ascended to Your right hand, Your Holy Spirit that dwells within us and helps us to gain a proper understanding of Your Word so that we don’t end up being condemned by Your Son once, let alone seven times for twisting and turning Your Word into a book of rules and Your Grace into a religion of a show of looking good to others at the cost of our souls.
Our Father, We ask You to forgive us when we fail and misuse Your Word; when we lead others in the wrong direction because of this; when we worship things of man over You; when we miss the central point of Your Word, the Grace received through Your Son, instead of the work we try to do to please you; when we lack integrity and show ourselves to be one way on the outside that we really aren’t on the inside; when we put on an air of holiness that we just don’t have; and when we feel religiously, spiritually and denominationally superior to others to make ourselves feel better, rather than trusting in the value of Your Love, Your Grace and what that means about us instead.
Our Father, We have faith in the Grace we have received and justice You received through Your Son’s sacrifice on the Cross. However,we remain in need of Your mercy when we fail in these ways and Your Word, Your indwelling Holy Spirit, our relationships in the Body, and acts of justice and mercy fueled by Your Love in order to grow in Your ways and be transformed to Your will.
Our Father, We compassionately lament for those who have rejected Your Son because they have misunderstood and misused Your Word and because of this are moving themselves and others away, rather than towards You. We compassionately lament for those in this generation who persecute, torture and kill Your prophets and those who believe in Your Son as the Risen Christ and their Savior. We compassionately lament for the temples they inhabit and the Day of Judgment that lies ahead for them.
In Jesus Name, Amen.
SONG ‘Woe To You (Album Version)' by Matt Papa @imeem http://x.imeem.com/xlw8W_Vkf8
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
LOVE
AUGUST 19, 2009 WEDNESDAY SCRIPTURE MATTHEW 22
TEXT http://net.bible.org/bible.php?book=Mat&chapter=22
MESSAGE
“The Story of Choosing”
Jesus continued his teaching with another story what the kingdom of heaven could be compared to. In the story, a king in putting on a wedding banquet for his son sends his servants to tell those who had been invited that the time had come to celebrate, but none of them came, even though he sent his servants out a second time, all of those who had been invited made up excuses for why they wouldn’t be coming to wedding banquet – some were more interested in making money than attending a celebration and the evil ones were so upset they had been bothered by the king about the celebration in the first place that they killed his servants who came to remind them the second time. This made the king so angry that he sent his soldiers out to kill those who had killed his servants and to destroy their city. After this he told his remaining servants that the invited guests had not been worthy of attending the celebration and that they were to go out and find anyone that would come whether they were good or bad to fill the banquet hall. However, when the king arrived at the celebration he spotted a man who was not wearing the clothes for celebrating the wedding he had his servants distribute to those who accepted his invitation to come. And, so he asked him how he had made it into the celebration without wedding clothes, but the man had no response. The king then told his attendants to tie the man up as tight as they could and do to him what had been done to the other evil men who had murdered his servants because he had been an invited guest who had twice refused to come, while those in the wedding clothes of celebration had chosen to come.
“Stunned”
After hearing this story, the Pharisees and supporters of Herod Antipas tried to set Jesus up and trap him with a question that no matter which way he answered it, he would be in trouble. Deceitfully asking him whether it was right to pay taxes to Caesar, Jesus, called them hypocrites and asked them to show him a coin. He went on to ask whose image and words were on the front and back of the coin and they told him they were Caesar’s. He then told them to give to Caesar what is due to him and to God what is due to him, which startled them so much they went away.
“Oh, Brother!”
Later that day, the Sadducees (who don’t even believe in the resurrection in the first place) asked Jesus about a portion of Mosaic law called levirate (or brother-in-law) marriage, wherein the brother-in-law steps in for his brother as a husband to his dead brother’s wife if he dies without children, so that his name can continue and so that his wife will have children to take care of her in her old age and won’t end up a beggar. Their preposterous question was that if a man died without children and all seven of his brothers successively took their place as called for by law but died before any children were born, whose wife would the women be in the resurrection (that they didn’t even believe in!)? Jesus answered by telling them how deceived they were because they didn’t know the scriptures or the power of God because in the resurrection, people, like angels do not marry. He went on to tell them that if they understood what God was really saying (as recorded in Exodus 3:6) when he said “I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob,” they would know that “I am” doesn’t mean “I was” the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and they are dead and gone, but instead that “I am” means that God is the God of the Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob who are alive and with him in heaven. Hearing this the crowds were simply amazed.
“Not Who, But What’s the Greatest”
Despite having been stunned by Jesus themselves, after hearing Jesus had now made the Sadducees speechless, the Pharisees had one of their religious law experts try to test his knowledge and comprehension of the entirety of Scripture by asking him which commandment in the law was the greatest. Quoting from Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18, Jesus responded by saying the first and greatest commandment is, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. And, the second is like it, “Love your neighbor ass yourself.” He told them that these two commandments form the basis for everything else in Scripture.
“Son & Lord”
While still there, Jesus asked the Pharisees a question about whose son the Christ (or Messiah) was and they responded by saying he was the son of David. Jesus then asked them if the Christ was the son of David, how David speaking under the guidance of the Holy Spirit in the Psalms (110:1) would call his own son, “Lord?” He then quoted David’s words from the Psalm to them saying, “God said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet.” When he asked them if David called his son Lord, how it was possible for him to be his son, no one said a word and after this they lost their courage to challenge and provoke him.
TEACHING
Jesus says the kingdom of heaven is like a wedding banquet celebration hosted by a king for his son, but some of the invited guests are too busy making money so they don’t go or and the rest of the invited guests don’t want to be bothered with a wedding celebration in honor of the king’s son so they murder the kings servants the second time he sends them out to let them know everything is ready and they are waiting for them to arrive. Angered by this, the king sends his soldiers to destroy both the murders and the town they live in and sends out more servants, this time to find more worthy guests who will come to the celebration because they want to, regardless of whether they’ve been good or bad. Despite this, when the king entered the celebration he noticed someone in attendance who had originally been invited but who had twice failed to come when his servants announced that everything was in order for the wedding celebration in honor of his son to begin. Knowing what had happened to the invited guests who hadn’t responded to the king’s invitation and had murdered the king’s servants, he had come only out of fear of what the king might do to him if he didn’t show; he hadn’t come because he genuinely wanted to pay honor to the him and his son. He was there for selfish reasons. Realizing this, the king had his guards tie him up tightly so they could remove him from the celebration and destroy him like they had those who had murdered his servants, because like them, he had not chosen to come to the celebration of his son when asked like all of the others in attendance.
Hearing this story describing them as the invited guests, who by refusing to Honor God’s Son as the Christ, will be left out of the Kingdom of Heaven, The Pharisees and supporters of King Herod try to deceived Jesus with a question where they can get him into trouble by the either/or answer he has to give. They ask Jesus whether it is lawful for Jews to pay taxes to Rome who occupies and controls their country – thinking they will either discredit him with the Jewish people if he supports paying the tax or they will turn him for rebellion if supports tax evasion. Jesus asks them for a Roman coin with the image of Caesar on one side and the words son of the divine Augustus on the other side and tells them to give to Caesar what is due to him and to God what is due to him – not only a both/and answer but one in which he contrasts the image of Caesar, with the image of God and Caesar as the son of the divine Augustus, with Himself as the Son of God. His answer shocked the Pharisees so much that they went left.
Later the Sadducees took a turn at questioning Jesus, but showed their ignorance and how they had run out of questions to ask when even though it was well known they didn’t believe in the resurrection from the dead, they asked Jesus an outlandish question about who would be a husband to a woman in the resurrection after she died, when she technically had eight husbands during her lifetime because her original husband and all seven of his brothers who stood in for him as a husband under the levirate (brother-in-law) marriage law died before any children were born to them. [The levirate marriage law was to help continue the husband’s name if he died without children and to help protect his wife so that she would have children to care and look after her in old age so she would not need to beg.] Jesus responded by telling the Sadducees that not only didn’t they know Scripture, they had no idea of how powerful God was because if they did, they would know nothing is impossible for God including raising people from the dead. He went on to describe that in the resurrection people are like angels with respect to relationship, in their resurrected state people are psychospiritually whole at that point such that the “one flesh” union of marriage is no longer an issue and their relationships are like that of the angels. Furthermore, he quoted from Exodus where it records God as saying “I am” the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, making the distinction for them that he does not say that he “was” their God, meaning that they no longer exist, that they have died and are no more. Hearing Jesus explain what God was really saying about the resurrection in Exodus like this amazed the people gathered around him.
Not willing to say die, despite being stunned by Jesus’ answer about paying taxes to Caesar and despite the Sadducees being left speechless by Jesus’ interpretation of the what God said with respect to the resurrection in Exodus, the Pharisees put their best religious law expert up to testing Jesus’ knowledge and understanding of everything in Scripture by asking him what the greatest commandment was. He told them that everything is God’s Word is based on and held together by two commandments which are really one and the same. First, he quoted from the Book of Deuteronomy (6:5) that first and greatest commandment is, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.” Then he quoted from Leviticus (19:18) that the second was “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
And, the way they were really the same is that if you aren’t able to love your neighbor as yourself, then you aren’t loving God with all of who you are. In fact, the man in Jesus story who was thrown out of the wedding banquet celebration, was thrown out because instead of loving God with all of his being, he feared God with all of his being because of how selfish he was – he only thought of himself, not the king, the king’s son, not the king’s servants and not all of those who had prepared the celebration for him to come to. And the reason for his fear showed.
Jesus then took the opportunity to ask the Pharisees a question about whose son the Messiah was and when they answered him that the Messiah was the son of David he asked them a further question about how it was possible for this to be the case since in the Psalms, David speaks under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and refers to his son as “my Lord.” In questioning the Pharisees in this way, Jesus was really making a statement to them that he, as the Messiah, was both God and man. In response, no one said a word. This statement by Jesus put an end to the Pharisees and Sadducees challenges against him.
HEALING
Our Father, Your Kingdom has come, Your Son was here and gave his life as a ransom, and we have been invited to accept Him as the Christ, the Son of the Living God – the God who continues to be the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of the Resurrected.
Our Father, Forgive us when we don’t respond with the praise, glory and honor that
You as Father, Your Son, and the Holy Spirit are due. Forgive us when we get preoccupied with our fields and our business and our busyness and spend more of our time with our coins, then in celebration with You for who You are and for what You have done in creating us in Your image and for the Your Word that has Liberated us from Sin through Your Son.
Our Father, Transform our hearts, minds, and souls from our selfish ways to that of love. Help us to accept and grow in Your Love by spending time in celebration with You, so that we are able to love others as selfishly as we seem to love ourselves, and are able to celebrate with them too.
Our Father, We too come away stunned, startled, and silenced by Your powerful Word. Your Word created, Your Word became flesh, Your Word resurrects, Your Word transform us.
You are amazing God!
In Jesus Name, Amen
SONG 'Your Love Oh Lord' by Acquire the Fire @imeem http://x.imeem.com/wyGMC3taME
TEXT http://net.bible.org/bible.php?book=Mat&chapter=22
MESSAGE
“The Story of Choosing”
Jesus continued his teaching with another story what the kingdom of heaven could be compared to. In the story, a king in putting on a wedding banquet for his son sends his servants to tell those who had been invited that the time had come to celebrate, but none of them came, even though he sent his servants out a second time, all of those who had been invited made up excuses for why they wouldn’t be coming to wedding banquet – some were more interested in making money than attending a celebration and the evil ones were so upset they had been bothered by the king about the celebration in the first place that they killed his servants who came to remind them the second time. This made the king so angry that he sent his soldiers out to kill those who had killed his servants and to destroy their city. After this he told his remaining servants that the invited guests had not been worthy of attending the celebration and that they were to go out and find anyone that would come whether they were good or bad to fill the banquet hall. However, when the king arrived at the celebration he spotted a man who was not wearing the clothes for celebrating the wedding he had his servants distribute to those who accepted his invitation to come. And, so he asked him how he had made it into the celebration without wedding clothes, but the man had no response. The king then told his attendants to tie the man up as tight as they could and do to him what had been done to the other evil men who had murdered his servants because he had been an invited guest who had twice refused to come, while those in the wedding clothes of celebration had chosen to come.
“Stunned”
After hearing this story, the Pharisees and supporters of Herod Antipas tried to set Jesus up and trap him with a question that no matter which way he answered it, he would be in trouble. Deceitfully asking him whether it was right to pay taxes to Caesar, Jesus, called them hypocrites and asked them to show him a coin. He went on to ask whose image and words were on the front and back of the coin and they told him they were Caesar’s. He then told them to give to Caesar what is due to him and to God what is due to him, which startled them so much they went away.
“Oh, Brother!”
Later that day, the Sadducees (who don’t even believe in the resurrection in the first place) asked Jesus about a portion of Mosaic law called levirate (or brother-in-law) marriage, wherein the brother-in-law steps in for his brother as a husband to his dead brother’s wife if he dies without children, so that his name can continue and so that his wife will have children to take care of her in her old age and won’t end up a beggar. Their preposterous question was that if a man died without children and all seven of his brothers successively took their place as called for by law but died before any children were born, whose wife would the women be in the resurrection (that they didn’t even believe in!)? Jesus answered by telling them how deceived they were because they didn’t know the scriptures or the power of God because in the resurrection, people, like angels do not marry. He went on to tell them that if they understood what God was really saying (as recorded in Exodus 3:6) when he said “I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob,” they would know that “I am” doesn’t mean “I was” the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and they are dead and gone, but instead that “I am” means that God is the God of the Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob who are alive and with him in heaven. Hearing this the crowds were simply amazed.
“Not Who, But What’s the Greatest”
Despite having been stunned by Jesus themselves, after hearing Jesus had now made the Sadducees speechless, the Pharisees had one of their religious law experts try to test his knowledge and comprehension of the entirety of Scripture by asking him which commandment in the law was the greatest. Quoting from Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18, Jesus responded by saying the first and greatest commandment is, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. And, the second is like it, “Love your neighbor ass yourself.” He told them that these two commandments form the basis for everything else in Scripture.
“Son & Lord”
While still there, Jesus asked the Pharisees a question about whose son the Christ (or Messiah) was and they responded by saying he was the son of David. Jesus then asked them if the Christ was the son of David, how David speaking under the guidance of the Holy Spirit in the Psalms (110:1) would call his own son, “Lord?” He then quoted David’s words from the Psalm to them saying, “God said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet.” When he asked them if David called his son Lord, how it was possible for him to be his son, no one said a word and after this they lost their courage to challenge and provoke him.
TEACHING
Jesus says the kingdom of heaven is like a wedding banquet celebration hosted by a king for his son, but some of the invited guests are too busy making money so they don’t go or and the rest of the invited guests don’t want to be bothered with a wedding celebration in honor of the king’s son so they murder the kings servants the second time he sends them out to let them know everything is ready and they are waiting for them to arrive. Angered by this, the king sends his soldiers to destroy both the murders and the town they live in and sends out more servants, this time to find more worthy guests who will come to the celebration because they want to, regardless of whether they’ve been good or bad. Despite this, when the king entered the celebration he noticed someone in attendance who had originally been invited but who had twice failed to come when his servants announced that everything was in order for the wedding celebration in honor of his son to begin. Knowing what had happened to the invited guests who hadn’t responded to the king’s invitation and had murdered the king’s servants, he had come only out of fear of what the king might do to him if he didn’t show; he hadn’t come because he genuinely wanted to pay honor to the him and his son. He was there for selfish reasons. Realizing this, the king had his guards tie him up tightly so they could remove him from the celebration and destroy him like they had those who had murdered his servants, because like them, he had not chosen to come to the celebration of his son when asked like all of the others in attendance.
Hearing this story describing them as the invited guests, who by refusing to Honor God’s Son as the Christ, will be left out of the Kingdom of Heaven, The Pharisees and supporters of King Herod try to deceived Jesus with a question where they can get him into trouble by the either/or answer he has to give. They ask Jesus whether it is lawful for Jews to pay taxes to Rome who occupies and controls their country – thinking they will either discredit him with the Jewish people if he supports paying the tax or they will turn him for rebellion if supports tax evasion. Jesus asks them for a Roman coin with the image of Caesar on one side and the words son of the divine Augustus on the other side and tells them to give to Caesar what is due to him and to God what is due to him – not only a both/and answer but one in which he contrasts the image of Caesar, with the image of God and Caesar as the son of the divine Augustus, with Himself as the Son of God. His answer shocked the Pharisees so much that they went left.
Later the Sadducees took a turn at questioning Jesus, but showed their ignorance and how they had run out of questions to ask when even though it was well known they didn’t believe in the resurrection from the dead, they asked Jesus an outlandish question about who would be a husband to a woman in the resurrection after she died, when she technically had eight husbands during her lifetime because her original husband and all seven of his brothers who stood in for him as a husband under the levirate (brother-in-law) marriage law died before any children were born to them. [The levirate marriage law was to help continue the husband’s name if he died without children and to help protect his wife so that she would have children to care and look after her in old age so she would not need to beg.] Jesus responded by telling the Sadducees that not only didn’t they know Scripture, they had no idea of how powerful God was because if they did, they would know nothing is impossible for God including raising people from the dead. He went on to describe that in the resurrection people are like angels with respect to relationship, in their resurrected state people are psychospiritually whole at that point such that the “one flesh” union of marriage is no longer an issue and their relationships are like that of the angels. Furthermore, he quoted from Exodus where it records God as saying “I am” the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, making the distinction for them that he does not say that he “was” their God, meaning that they no longer exist, that they have died and are no more. Hearing Jesus explain what God was really saying about the resurrection in Exodus like this amazed the people gathered around him.
Not willing to say die, despite being stunned by Jesus’ answer about paying taxes to Caesar and despite the Sadducees being left speechless by Jesus’ interpretation of the what God said with respect to the resurrection in Exodus, the Pharisees put their best religious law expert up to testing Jesus’ knowledge and understanding of everything in Scripture by asking him what the greatest commandment was. He told them that everything is God’s Word is based on and held together by two commandments which are really one and the same. First, he quoted from the Book of Deuteronomy (6:5) that first and greatest commandment is, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.” Then he quoted from Leviticus (19:18) that the second was “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
And, the way they were really the same is that if you aren’t able to love your neighbor as yourself, then you aren’t loving God with all of who you are. In fact, the man in Jesus story who was thrown out of the wedding banquet celebration, was thrown out because instead of loving God with all of his being, he feared God with all of his being because of how selfish he was – he only thought of himself, not the king, the king’s son, not the king’s servants and not all of those who had prepared the celebration for him to come to. And the reason for his fear showed.
Jesus then took the opportunity to ask the Pharisees a question about whose son the Messiah was and when they answered him that the Messiah was the son of David he asked them a further question about how it was possible for this to be the case since in the Psalms, David speaks under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and refers to his son as “my Lord.” In questioning the Pharisees in this way, Jesus was really making a statement to them that he, as the Messiah, was both God and man. In response, no one said a word. This statement by Jesus put an end to the Pharisees and Sadducees challenges against him.
HEALING
Our Father, Your Kingdom has come, Your Son was here and gave his life as a ransom, and we have been invited to accept Him as the Christ, the Son of the Living God – the God who continues to be the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of the Resurrected.
Our Father, Forgive us when we don’t respond with the praise, glory and honor that
You as Father, Your Son, and the Holy Spirit are due. Forgive us when we get preoccupied with our fields and our business and our busyness and spend more of our time with our coins, then in celebration with You for who You are and for what You have done in creating us in Your image and for the Your Word that has Liberated us from Sin through Your Son.
Our Father, Transform our hearts, minds, and souls from our selfish ways to that of love. Help us to accept and grow in Your Love by spending time in celebration with You, so that we are able to love others as selfishly as we seem to love ourselves, and are able to celebrate with them too.
Our Father, We too come away stunned, startled, and silenced by Your powerful Word. Your Word created, Your Word became flesh, Your Word resurrects, Your Word transform us.
You are amazing God!
In Jesus Name, Amen
SONG 'Your Love Oh Lord' by Acquire the Fire @imeem http://x.imeem.com/wyGMC3taME
Monday, August 17, 2009
HOSANNA
AUGUST 17, 2009 MONDAY SCRIPTURE MATTHEW 21
TEXT http://net.bible.org/bible.php?book=Mat&chapter=21
MESSAGE
“Hosanna in the Highest”
Jesus sends two disciples ahead into a village on the outskirts of Jerusalem to retrieve a donkey and a colt from a specified place with instructions to say the Lord needs them if asked why they are leading them away. This was done to fulfill a Zechariah’s prophecy to the people of Israel telling them that the Messiah would come in a humble manner sitting on a donkey. And, it happened just as Jesus said. The disciples found the donkey and colt, placed their cloaks on them, brought them to Jesus and he sat on them as he entered Jerusalem to a large crowd who honored Him as the Messiah by placing their cloaks and cut branches on the ground before Him, shouting, the Messianic words of Psalms 118 as he road into the city, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest!” The entire City was in a frenzy over the arrival of the prophet from Galilee
“House of Thieves”
The first thing Jesus did in Jerusalem was enter the temple area where he became so upset over the business and money changing going on in the temple courts that he put an end to all of it by tipping over the tables and chairs of those engaged in these practices and by quoting from Jeremiah to provide the Scriptural support for doing what he did telling them His house was a house of prayer, while they were turning it into a den of thieves. After clearing out the temple courts in this way, those who were blind and unable to walk came to Him and He healed them. However, his works of healing and the children's continuing shouts of Hosanna resulted in the chief priests and experts in the law resenting Him to his face which he responded to by asking them if they weren’t familiar with what Psalm 8 had to say about praise having been designated for Him from the mouths of the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven. And, after saying this, he left Jerusalem to spend the night in Bethany.
“Without Doubt”
The next morning on their way back to Jerusalem from Bethany, Jesus was hungry and noticing a fig tree by the road went to get something to eat, but found it was not producing any fruit despite it having leaves and so he pronounced that it would never produce fruit and at once it shriveled up and died. In their amazement the disciples asked how the fig tree died so fast and Jesus told them that if they have faith without doubts they would not only be able to pronounce the end of a fruitless fig tree and it would happen but they would be able to command a mountain to move into the sea and it would go there and that if they believe in this way, whatever they ask for in prayer will be theirs as well.
“Fence Sitters”
Arriving at Jerusalem and upon entering the temple courts where again He began teaching, the religious leaders came up to Him questioning the authority He had to do what he was doing. Jesus told them He would tell them if they would first tell Him whether the authority behind John’s baptism was from Heaven or from people. The religious leaders were in a bind because if they said from Heaven Jesus would ask why they didn’t believe John and if they said from people they were fearful of the crowd who believed John was a prophet. When they sat on the fence and told Jesus they weren’t sure, He told them that because of their non-response he wouldn’t tell them by what authority he was doing what he was doing - although it was obvious to anyone with reason that His teachings and healings were not of man but of God.
“The Story of Tax Collectors & Prostitutes”
After this encounter with the religious leaders, Jesus went on teaching by telling a story about a man who had two sons. When he asked his first son to work in the vineyard one day, his son initially refused to go but later changed his mind and went to do what his father asked him to do. When the father asked his second son to work in the vineyard that day, he initially said he would go but he never went to do what his father asked him to do. Jesus then asked those gathered around him which son obeyed the father and they all said the first son. Jesus went on to say that the truth of the matter was that the tax collectors and prostitutes would be going ahead of the religious leaders into the Kingdom of God because when John the Baptist told people the time had come for them to repent and change their way of living, the tax collectors and prostitutes believed what he said and did so, but the religious leaders didn’t believe him and even after seeing that tax collectors and prostitutes had repented and were living changed lives they didn’t change their minds later on and believe what John was saying.
“The Stories of the Vineyard & Cornerstone”
Jesus then taught using another story about a landowner who planted a vineyard, fenced it in, made a winepress and watchtower and then leased it to tenant farmers and went away leaving it in the tenant's hands. At harvest time when he sent his servants to collect his share of the crop the tenants beat, killed, and stoned his servants. He tried sending another group of servants but the same thing happened to them so he decided to send his son thinking they would respect him. But the tenants treated him the same way, throwing him outside the vineyard fence and killing him thinking that if they removed the heir the vineyard would become all theirs. Jesus asked those gather around him what the owner of the vineyard would do to the tenants when he returned. They said the owner will completely destroy the evil tenants and lease the vineyard to others who will give him the portion due him come harvest time.
Jesus went on ask them if they were familiar with Psalm 118 where it speaks of Him as the stone the builders rejected becoming the cornerstone and that this being the Lord’s doing - something incredible to humanly witness.
Based on how Psalm 118 summarized the two stories Jesus had just told, He informed the people gathered around Him that the Kingdom of God was going to be taken away from the religious leaders who like the fig tree with leaves were not producing fruit and that the Kingdom would be given to other people who would produce fruit for it. He went on to say that anyone who falls on the cornerstone or who the cornerstone falls on will be destroyed by it. When the religious leaders heard Him say all these things they knew He was talking about them and they wanted to arrest Him but didn’t because they feared the crowds who viewed Jesus as a prophet.
TEACHING
Another Old Testament prophecy indicating Jesus is the Messiah, this time from the Book of Zechariah is fulfilled with Jesus public announcement that He is the Messiah when he entered Jerusalem in the humble manner He did on the back of a donkey. The people's recognition of this is heard in the Messianic words of Psalm 118 they shout to Him, “Hosanna, Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest!”
Immediately on entering Jerusalem, Jesus goes to the Temple where first he purifies the temple courts of corruption, restoring it to a House of Prayer before purifying those with diseases by healing them to further shouts of Hosanna! Save! from humble children who correctly perceive who Jesus is in contrast to the religious leaders who don’t and resent His presence.
On the way back to Jerusalem the next day after staying in Bethany overnight, Jesus inspects a fig tree with leaves but discovers that it is bearing no fruit so he pronounces that it will never bear fruit again because while it is showy (by growing leaves) it is not bearing any useful fruit to eat like it should be. When it immediately dies the disciples are amazed and ask how this could happen so fast. Jesus tells them that if they have faith without doubt they will be able to do miraculous things for the Kingdom of God and that if the basis of their belief is a non-doubting faith whatever they ask for in prayer they will receive because a faith without doubts is not self-center, but God-centered.
As Jesus is about to start teaching again in the temple courts that day, the religious leaders question Him about the basis of His authority. He responds by telling them he will answer them after they first tell Him whether John’s baptism was from God or from man. This placed the religious leaders in a bind because if they said from God it legitimized John’s baptism and teachings including what he said about Jesus being the Messiah, but if they said John’s baptism was from man they feared the people who regarded John as a prophet. Because of this they answered by saying they didn’t know which indicated they weren’t even competent to evaluate issues of authority. And, because of this Jesus told them he wouldn’t tell them by whose authority he was doing what he was doing.
Jesus then went on to tell two stories. The first was about a father who asked his two sons to do work for him. Initially one said he wouldn’t but later changed his mind and did what his father had asked. The other son initially said he would do the work but he never did it. The story illustrated how the tax collectors and prostitutes of Jesus day were like the son who at first disobeyed his father, but came around to obedience. The story also illustrated how the religious leaders were like the son who at first said they would obey their father but then disobeyed their father by not doing what he had asked them to do. Jesus said that the tax collectors and prostitutes listened to John the Baptist and repented of their sin living lives of change after this while the religious leaders didn’t listen to John the Baptist even after seeing how true repentance impacted the lives of the tax collectors and prostitutes.
The second story was about a landowner (God) who planted a vineyard (Israel), built a fence, winepress and a tower and then leased the vineyard to tenants (leaders of Israel) and went away, but at harvest time sent some servants (prophets) back to collect his portion of the harvest. However, the tenants beat, killed and stoned the servants (prophets). The landowner sent another group of servants and the same thing happened again, so he decided to send his only son (Jesus Messiah) who he thought they would respect but they threw him outside the fence (the walls of Jerusalem) and killed him too (crucified Him). When the landowner returned he threw the evil tenants (leaders of Israel) out and replaced them with new tenants who gave him the portion of the harvest that He was due.
Jesus then asked if they were familiar with where in Psalm 118 it talks about Him in as the stone the builders rejected becoming the cornerstone and that this occurring due to the Lord's Hand and how incredible this is to humanly witness as they were doing at that very moment.
Based on this and the two stories he has just told, Jesus told them the Kingdom of God was going to be taken away from the religious leaders because they were like the fig tree with showy leaves but unable to produce fruit for the Kingdom and that the Kingdom was going to be given to other people who weren’t showy and were able to produce fruit for it. He finished this teaching by saying that if anyone trips over the cornerstone or if the cornerstone falls on anyone they will be destroyed – meaning that if anyone tries to dislodge the foundation required for entry into of the Kingdom from their life, i.e. faith in the Christ, the Son of the Living God, they will suffer greatly.
HEALING
Our Father, Hosanna, to Your Son! Blessed was He who came and comes in the name of the LORD. Hosanna in the highest! We praise You for Your Son’s enter into Jerusalem on a humble donkey and for the people’s recognition that He was the Messiah. We praise You for His purification of the corruption in the temple courts and the purification of disease in the lives of the people who came to Him that day.
Our Father, we ask that we would cry out Hosanna!, Save!, to Your Son at all times because we are always in need and that we would recognize the Your Son at work purifying our body, the temple of the Holy Spirit, through the process we call sanctification. We also ask that we recognize Your Son at work purifying our body, the temple of the Holy Spirit, of disease be it of mind or body.
Our Father, forgive us when we are like the fig tree, all leaves and no fruit – all show and no tell. Give us the strength and courage we need to be your disciples so that we can produce fruit for Your Kingdom, so that we can tell others about what Salvation!, Liberation!, Hosanna! is and how little children, tax collectors and prostitutes are able to come to recognize Your Son due their humility and come to Him through repentance and live changed lives when others are unable to recognize Your Son and continue to live lives thick of leaves, but lives that are otherwise barren. Forgive us when our faith is lacking, when we have doubts and when these doubts are due to self-centeredness.
Our Father, help us to be obedient to Your Word each day, to be like the son who followed through on what his father asked, to be like the tax collector and prostitute who listened to John the Baptist and repented of their sins, and to be counted among those who ahve been incredibly amazed because they have witnessed the stone the builders rejected become the cornerstone of their hearts, of their lives. We pray for those we personally know who risk tripping over or having the cornerstone crush them because they fail to see Your Son as the Keys to the Kingdom of God. Make us bold, give us courage, and take us out of our comfort zone so that we are able to speak of and show our faith and what a difference it makes in our lives to those we personally know that have yet to find you.
In Jesus Name, Amen
SONG 'Hosanna In The Highest' by Sojourn @imeem http://x.imeem.com/T4oF0LLnGQ
TEXT http://net.bible.org/bible.php?book=Mat&chapter=21
MESSAGE
“Hosanna in the Highest”
Jesus sends two disciples ahead into a village on the outskirts of Jerusalem to retrieve a donkey and a colt from a specified place with instructions to say the Lord needs them if asked why they are leading them away. This was done to fulfill a Zechariah’s prophecy to the people of Israel telling them that the Messiah would come in a humble manner sitting on a donkey. And, it happened just as Jesus said. The disciples found the donkey and colt, placed their cloaks on them, brought them to Jesus and he sat on them as he entered Jerusalem to a large crowd who honored Him as the Messiah by placing their cloaks and cut branches on the ground before Him, shouting, the Messianic words of Psalms 118 as he road into the city, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest!” The entire City was in a frenzy over the arrival of the prophet from Galilee
“House of Thieves”
The first thing Jesus did in Jerusalem was enter the temple area where he became so upset over the business and money changing going on in the temple courts that he put an end to all of it by tipping over the tables and chairs of those engaged in these practices and by quoting from Jeremiah to provide the Scriptural support for doing what he did telling them His house was a house of prayer, while they were turning it into a den of thieves. After clearing out the temple courts in this way, those who were blind and unable to walk came to Him and He healed them. However, his works of healing and the children's continuing shouts of Hosanna resulted in the chief priests and experts in the law resenting Him to his face which he responded to by asking them if they weren’t familiar with what Psalm 8 had to say about praise having been designated for Him from the mouths of the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven. And, after saying this, he left Jerusalem to spend the night in Bethany.
“Without Doubt”
The next morning on their way back to Jerusalem from Bethany, Jesus was hungry and noticing a fig tree by the road went to get something to eat, but found it was not producing any fruit despite it having leaves and so he pronounced that it would never produce fruit and at once it shriveled up and died. In their amazement the disciples asked how the fig tree died so fast and Jesus told them that if they have faith without doubts they would not only be able to pronounce the end of a fruitless fig tree and it would happen but they would be able to command a mountain to move into the sea and it would go there and that if they believe in this way, whatever they ask for in prayer will be theirs as well.
“Fence Sitters”
Arriving at Jerusalem and upon entering the temple courts where again He began teaching, the religious leaders came up to Him questioning the authority He had to do what he was doing. Jesus told them He would tell them if they would first tell Him whether the authority behind John’s baptism was from Heaven or from people. The religious leaders were in a bind because if they said from Heaven Jesus would ask why they didn’t believe John and if they said from people they were fearful of the crowd who believed John was a prophet. When they sat on the fence and told Jesus they weren’t sure, He told them that because of their non-response he wouldn’t tell them by what authority he was doing what he was doing - although it was obvious to anyone with reason that His teachings and healings were not of man but of God.
“The Story of Tax Collectors & Prostitutes”
After this encounter with the religious leaders, Jesus went on teaching by telling a story about a man who had two sons. When he asked his first son to work in the vineyard one day, his son initially refused to go but later changed his mind and went to do what his father asked him to do. When the father asked his second son to work in the vineyard that day, he initially said he would go but he never went to do what his father asked him to do. Jesus then asked those gathered around him which son obeyed the father and they all said the first son. Jesus went on to say that the truth of the matter was that the tax collectors and prostitutes would be going ahead of the religious leaders into the Kingdom of God because when John the Baptist told people the time had come for them to repent and change their way of living, the tax collectors and prostitutes believed what he said and did so, but the religious leaders didn’t believe him and even after seeing that tax collectors and prostitutes had repented and were living changed lives they didn’t change their minds later on and believe what John was saying.
“The Stories of the Vineyard & Cornerstone”
Jesus then taught using another story about a landowner who planted a vineyard, fenced it in, made a winepress and watchtower and then leased it to tenant farmers and went away leaving it in the tenant's hands. At harvest time when he sent his servants to collect his share of the crop the tenants beat, killed, and stoned his servants. He tried sending another group of servants but the same thing happened to them so he decided to send his son thinking they would respect him. But the tenants treated him the same way, throwing him outside the vineyard fence and killing him thinking that if they removed the heir the vineyard would become all theirs. Jesus asked those gather around him what the owner of the vineyard would do to the tenants when he returned. They said the owner will completely destroy the evil tenants and lease the vineyard to others who will give him the portion due him come harvest time.
Jesus went on ask them if they were familiar with Psalm 118 where it speaks of Him as the stone the builders rejected becoming the cornerstone and that this being the Lord’s doing - something incredible to humanly witness.
Based on how Psalm 118 summarized the two stories Jesus had just told, He informed the people gathered around Him that the Kingdom of God was going to be taken away from the religious leaders who like the fig tree with leaves were not producing fruit and that the Kingdom would be given to other people who would produce fruit for it. He went on to say that anyone who falls on the cornerstone or who the cornerstone falls on will be destroyed by it. When the religious leaders heard Him say all these things they knew He was talking about them and they wanted to arrest Him but didn’t because they feared the crowds who viewed Jesus as a prophet.
TEACHING
Another Old Testament prophecy indicating Jesus is the Messiah, this time from the Book of Zechariah is fulfilled with Jesus public announcement that He is the Messiah when he entered Jerusalem in the humble manner He did on the back of a donkey. The people's recognition of this is heard in the Messianic words of Psalm 118 they shout to Him, “Hosanna, Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest!”
Immediately on entering Jerusalem, Jesus goes to the Temple where first he purifies the temple courts of corruption, restoring it to a House of Prayer before purifying those with diseases by healing them to further shouts of Hosanna! Save! from humble children who correctly perceive who Jesus is in contrast to the religious leaders who don’t and resent His presence.
On the way back to Jerusalem the next day after staying in Bethany overnight, Jesus inspects a fig tree with leaves but discovers that it is bearing no fruit so he pronounces that it will never bear fruit again because while it is showy (by growing leaves) it is not bearing any useful fruit to eat like it should be. When it immediately dies the disciples are amazed and ask how this could happen so fast. Jesus tells them that if they have faith without doubt they will be able to do miraculous things for the Kingdom of God and that if the basis of their belief is a non-doubting faith whatever they ask for in prayer they will receive because a faith without doubts is not self-center, but God-centered.
As Jesus is about to start teaching again in the temple courts that day, the religious leaders question Him about the basis of His authority. He responds by telling them he will answer them after they first tell Him whether John’s baptism was from God or from man. This placed the religious leaders in a bind because if they said from God it legitimized John’s baptism and teachings including what he said about Jesus being the Messiah, but if they said John’s baptism was from man they feared the people who regarded John as a prophet. Because of this they answered by saying they didn’t know which indicated they weren’t even competent to evaluate issues of authority. And, because of this Jesus told them he wouldn’t tell them by whose authority he was doing what he was doing.
Jesus then went on to tell two stories. The first was about a father who asked his two sons to do work for him. Initially one said he wouldn’t but later changed his mind and did what his father had asked. The other son initially said he would do the work but he never did it. The story illustrated how the tax collectors and prostitutes of Jesus day were like the son who at first disobeyed his father, but came around to obedience. The story also illustrated how the religious leaders were like the son who at first said they would obey their father but then disobeyed their father by not doing what he had asked them to do. Jesus said that the tax collectors and prostitutes listened to John the Baptist and repented of their sin living lives of change after this while the religious leaders didn’t listen to John the Baptist even after seeing how true repentance impacted the lives of the tax collectors and prostitutes.
The second story was about a landowner (God) who planted a vineyard (Israel), built a fence, winepress and a tower and then leased the vineyard to tenants (leaders of Israel) and went away, but at harvest time sent some servants (prophets) back to collect his portion of the harvest. However, the tenants beat, killed and stoned the servants (prophets). The landowner sent another group of servants and the same thing happened again, so he decided to send his only son (Jesus Messiah) who he thought they would respect but they threw him outside the fence (the walls of Jerusalem) and killed him too (crucified Him). When the landowner returned he threw the evil tenants (leaders of Israel) out and replaced them with new tenants who gave him the portion of the harvest that He was due.
Jesus then asked if they were familiar with where in Psalm 118 it talks about Him in as the stone the builders rejected becoming the cornerstone and that this occurring due to the Lord's Hand and how incredible this is to humanly witness as they were doing at that very moment.
Based on this and the two stories he has just told, Jesus told them the Kingdom of God was going to be taken away from the religious leaders because they were like the fig tree with showy leaves but unable to produce fruit for the Kingdom and that the Kingdom was going to be given to other people who weren’t showy and were able to produce fruit for it. He finished this teaching by saying that if anyone trips over the cornerstone or if the cornerstone falls on anyone they will be destroyed – meaning that if anyone tries to dislodge the foundation required for entry into of the Kingdom from their life, i.e. faith in the Christ, the Son of the Living God, they will suffer greatly.
HEALING
Our Father, Hosanna, to Your Son! Blessed was He who came and comes in the name of the LORD. Hosanna in the highest! We praise You for Your Son’s enter into Jerusalem on a humble donkey and for the people’s recognition that He was the Messiah. We praise You for His purification of the corruption in the temple courts and the purification of disease in the lives of the people who came to Him that day.
Our Father, we ask that we would cry out Hosanna!, Save!, to Your Son at all times because we are always in need and that we would recognize the Your Son at work purifying our body, the temple of the Holy Spirit, through the process we call sanctification. We also ask that we recognize Your Son at work purifying our body, the temple of the Holy Spirit, of disease be it of mind or body.
Our Father, forgive us when we are like the fig tree, all leaves and no fruit – all show and no tell. Give us the strength and courage we need to be your disciples so that we can produce fruit for Your Kingdom, so that we can tell others about what Salvation!, Liberation!, Hosanna! is and how little children, tax collectors and prostitutes are able to come to recognize Your Son due their humility and come to Him through repentance and live changed lives when others are unable to recognize Your Son and continue to live lives thick of leaves, but lives that are otherwise barren. Forgive us when our faith is lacking, when we have doubts and when these doubts are due to self-centeredness.
Our Father, help us to be obedient to Your Word each day, to be like the son who followed through on what his father asked, to be like the tax collector and prostitute who listened to John the Baptist and repented of their sins, and to be counted among those who ahve been incredibly amazed because they have witnessed the stone the builders rejected become the cornerstone of their hearts, of their lives. We pray for those we personally know who risk tripping over or having the cornerstone crush them because they fail to see Your Son as the Keys to the Kingdom of God. Make us bold, give us courage, and take us out of our comfort zone so that we are able to speak of and show our faith and what a difference it makes in our lives to those we personally know that have yet to find you.
In Jesus Name, Amen
SONG 'Hosanna In The Highest' by Sojourn @imeem http://x.imeem.com/T4oF0LLnGQ
Sunday, August 16, 2009
GRACE
AUGUST 16, 2009 SUNDAY SCRIPTURE MATTHEW 20
TEXT http://net.bible.org/bible.php?book=Mat&chapter=20
MESSAGE
“The Vineyard Reversal”
Jesus tells his disciples a story illustrating how the first will be last and the last will be first in the Kingdom of Heaven. In the story, in the morning a landowner hires workers for his vineyard and they are sent off to work after agreeing to work for the standard daily wage. Throughout the day the owner goes into the marketplace and finds others without work and sends them into his vineyard telling them he will pay them fairly at the end of the day. He continues to do this right up to the hour before the work day is done. Then when the day is over he tells his manager to call the workers in starting with those who were hired last and that no matter when they began working to pay them the standard daily wage. When the workers hired at the start of the day came in they thought they would receive more but received the same as all the other workers and began complaining to the landowner about how much more work they did than those who were hired later in the day but were made equal in by being paid the same amount. The landowner told the complaining workers that he wasn’t treating them unfairly, that he had paid them what they had agreed to work for, that they seemed to be jealous because he was being generous with his money. Jesus concludes the story with the statement it was illustrating about the Kingdom of Heaven: So the last will be first, and the first last.
“Crucifixion”
Following this, Jesus tells His disciples for the third time what is going to happen to Him in Jerusalem. They are told He will be betrayed and handed over to the chief priests who will condemn him to death after which they will get the Roman soldiers involved who will ridicule, severely flog and then crucify him. Despite this he will be raised from the dead three days later.
“Authority”
Despite Jesus having just told a story that illustrated the meaning of the last being first, and the first last in the Kingdom of Heaven, the mother of James and John asks Jesus that her sons be allowed to sit at His right and left sides in His Kingdom. He tells them they don’t know what they are asking for and then asks them if they can be a part of what he has just told them for the third time is going to happen to him. James and John tell Jesus they can to which Jesus acknowledges that they will but that the positions they are asking Him for in the Kingdom of Heaven aren’t His to give, instead His Father’s.
When the other disciples found out that the mother of James and John had tried to obtain a privileged position for them in the Kingdom of Heaven they were upset with the brothers. Jesus intervened by telling them how the Roman rulers and others in high positions hang their authority over the heads of those beneath them and that they must never use their authority in this way. In contrast to this Jesus tells them that whoever wants to be great must be a servant and whoever wants to be first must be a slave to others. He told them that even as Messiah, he didn’t come to be served by others but to serve them and to give his life as a ransom to pay for the sins of many people.
“Mercy”
Leaving Jericho on the way to Jerusalem with a large crowd at hand, there were two blind men sitting along the road who when they heard Jesus was going by shouted out, calling Him the Son of David, for mercy. Discounting them, the people in the crowd told them to be quiet but they persisted in shouting even louder for mercy which caught Jesus’ attention causing Him to stop and take notice. After calling them over he asked them what they wanted Him to do for them and they told Him they wanted to see again. This moved Jesus to compassion as he touched their eyes resulting in their immediately regaining their sight after which they followed Him.
TEACHING
Jesus’ story written about by Matthew at the beginning of Chapter 20 illustrates the concept that he started at the end of Chapter 19 about some that are first in this world that will be last in the Kingdom of Heaven and some that are last in this world will be first in the Kingdom of Heaven. This story about hiring workers at different times throughout the workday and then paying them the same wage, being generous to those who were hired last but being fair and keeping his word to those hired first illustrates that entrance into the Kingdom is not earned, but received by the grace of God. And, those who were hanging around the marketplace at the end of the day because no one found them acceptable to work represent those who are last in this world, the poor and the outcasts, who become first in the Kingdom of Heaven.
After teaching his disciples about God’s grace through this story, He told His disciples for the third time what was going to happen to Him when they reached Jerusalem, how he would be betrayed into the hands of the religious establishment, how they would turn Him over to the Romans to be crucified and how after this three days later he would rise from the dead.
In spite of the story illustrating God’s grace Jesus had just told His disciples, they didn’t understand the difficult path he was telling them he was following was God’s plan for grace - a plan in which He must suffer and die on the Cross as a ransom for the Sin of many – a plan in which He was going to pay the price for the Sin of many so that they would be set free from and be able to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. He also told them He did not come into the world to use His authority like the Romans do, hanging it over the heads of those they rule, demanding that others serve their every whim, but instead to serve others to the point of giving up His life for them.
And, He defined greatness for His disciples this way – by serving them, by becoming their slave - not by jockeying for privileged positions in the Kingdom of Heaven like James and John had naively done without understanding what this required for them to follow Him down the path He must go. Having previously told them they would hold positions of authority in the Kingdom of Heaven to sit in judgment of the twelve tribes of Israel for not believing He was the Son of God, He told them that beyond being able to tell them this, the call on who would be closest to Him in the Kingdom was not His, but His Father’s.
Leaving Jericho, two blind men stop the excitement of Jesus’ presence in the crowd traveling the road to Jerusalem for to celebrate the Passover by their persistent cries for mercy. Jesus’ compassionate filled question asking what they want was immediately fulfilled when they asked to see again, after which they follow Him.
HEALING
Our Father in Heaven,
Hallowed be Your Name because of Grace in the Name of Your Son who You sent into this world not to be served, but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for our Sin.
Hallowed be Your Name because of Grace in the Name of Your Son who paid the price for our Sin so that we could be set free from death and live eternally in the Kingdom of Heaven with You.
Hallowed be Your Name because of Grace in the Name of Your Son who suffered betrayal, torture, and the merciless death of crucifixion at our hands even though it was for our sake.
Thy Kingdom come on earth as it is in Heaven so that those who today are outcasts will one day be accepted by the world.
Thy Kingdom come on earth as it is in Heaven so that we will serve as Your Son served on earth, as servants, giving our lives to others.
Thy Kingdom come on earth as it is in Heaven so that we will take time, stop what we’re doing, hear the cries of others for mercy, ask them what they want, and help to provide them it in the Name of Your Son.
Give us today our daily bread like the workers wages from the vineyard Owner.
Give us today our daily bread like the disciple’s teachings from following Jesus.
Give us today our daily bread like the blind men’s healings from asking Jesus.
Forgive us our trespasses, like the first hired vineyard workers when we think You aren’t being fair - as we forgive those who trespass against us.
Forgive us our trespasses, like when we seek positions of privilege like James and John - as we forgive those who trespass against us.
Forgive us our trespasses, like the crowd outside of Jericho when we discount the weak of the world - as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation, thinking we’re great when we’re not.
And lead us not into temptation, thinking we’re first when we’re not.
And lead us not into temptation, thinking we’re privileged when we’re not.
For Thine is the Kingdom, the Power and the Glory, Forever and Ever,
In Jesus Name, Amen
SONG 'Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone) (See ...' by Chris Tomlin @imeem http://x.imeem.com/hdVbU_tpl1
TEXT http://net.bible.org/bible.php?book=Mat&chapter=20
MESSAGE
“The Vineyard Reversal”
Jesus tells his disciples a story illustrating how the first will be last and the last will be first in the Kingdom of Heaven. In the story, in the morning a landowner hires workers for his vineyard and they are sent off to work after agreeing to work for the standard daily wage. Throughout the day the owner goes into the marketplace and finds others without work and sends them into his vineyard telling them he will pay them fairly at the end of the day. He continues to do this right up to the hour before the work day is done. Then when the day is over he tells his manager to call the workers in starting with those who were hired last and that no matter when they began working to pay them the standard daily wage. When the workers hired at the start of the day came in they thought they would receive more but received the same as all the other workers and began complaining to the landowner about how much more work they did than those who were hired later in the day but were made equal in by being paid the same amount. The landowner told the complaining workers that he wasn’t treating them unfairly, that he had paid them what they had agreed to work for, that they seemed to be jealous because he was being generous with his money. Jesus concludes the story with the statement it was illustrating about the Kingdom of Heaven: So the last will be first, and the first last.
“Crucifixion”
Following this, Jesus tells His disciples for the third time what is going to happen to Him in Jerusalem. They are told He will be betrayed and handed over to the chief priests who will condemn him to death after which they will get the Roman soldiers involved who will ridicule, severely flog and then crucify him. Despite this he will be raised from the dead three days later.
“Authority”
Despite Jesus having just told a story that illustrated the meaning of the last being first, and the first last in the Kingdom of Heaven, the mother of James and John asks Jesus that her sons be allowed to sit at His right and left sides in His Kingdom. He tells them they don’t know what they are asking for and then asks them if they can be a part of what he has just told them for the third time is going to happen to him. James and John tell Jesus they can to which Jesus acknowledges that they will but that the positions they are asking Him for in the Kingdom of Heaven aren’t His to give, instead His Father’s.
When the other disciples found out that the mother of James and John had tried to obtain a privileged position for them in the Kingdom of Heaven they were upset with the brothers. Jesus intervened by telling them how the Roman rulers and others in high positions hang their authority over the heads of those beneath them and that they must never use their authority in this way. In contrast to this Jesus tells them that whoever wants to be great must be a servant and whoever wants to be first must be a slave to others. He told them that even as Messiah, he didn’t come to be served by others but to serve them and to give his life as a ransom to pay for the sins of many people.
“Mercy”
Leaving Jericho on the way to Jerusalem with a large crowd at hand, there were two blind men sitting along the road who when they heard Jesus was going by shouted out, calling Him the Son of David, for mercy. Discounting them, the people in the crowd told them to be quiet but they persisted in shouting even louder for mercy which caught Jesus’ attention causing Him to stop and take notice. After calling them over he asked them what they wanted Him to do for them and they told Him they wanted to see again. This moved Jesus to compassion as he touched their eyes resulting in their immediately regaining their sight after which they followed Him.
TEACHING
Jesus’ story written about by Matthew at the beginning of Chapter 20 illustrates the concept that he started at the end of Chapter 19 about some that are first in this world that will be last in the Kingdom of Heaven and some that are last in this world will be first in the Kingdom of Heaven. This story about hiring workers at different times throughout the workday and then paying them the same wage, being generous to those who were hired last but being fair and keeping his word to those hired first illustrates that entrance into the Kingdom is not earned, but received by the grace of God. And, those who were hanging around the marketplace at the end of the day because no one found them acceptable to work represent those who are last in this world, the poor and the outcasts, who become first in the Kingdom of Heaven.
After teaching his disciples about God’s grace through this story, He told His disciples for the third time what was going to happen to Him when they reached Jerusalem, how he would be betrayed into the hands of the religious establishment, how they would turn Him over to the Romans to be crucified and how after this three days later he would rise from the dead.
In spite of the story illustrating God’s grace Jesus had just told His disciples, they didn’t understand the difficult path he was telling them he was following was God’s plan for grace - a plan in which He must suffer and die on the Cross as a ransom for the Sin of many – a plan in which He was going to pay the price for the Sin of many so that they would be set free from and be able to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. He also told them He did not come into the world to use His authority like the Romans do, hanging it over the heads of those they rule, demanding that others serve their every whim, but instead to serve others to the point of giving up His life for them.
And, He defined greatness for His disciples this way – by serving them, by becoming their slave - not by jockeying for privileged positions in the Kingdom of Heaven like James and John had naively done without understanding what this required for them to follow Him down the path He must go. Having previously told them they would hold positions of authority in the Kingdom of Heaven to sit in judgment of the twelve tribes of Israel for not believing He was the Son of God, He told them that beyond being able to tell them this, the call on who would be closest to Him in the Kingdom was not His, but His Father’s.
Leaving Jericho, two blind men stop the excitement of Jesus’ presence in the crowd traveling the road to Jerusalem for to celebrate the Passover by their persistent cries for mercy. Jesus’ compassionate filled question asking what they want was immediately fulfilled when they asked to see again, after which they follow Him.
HEALING
Our Father in Heaven,
Hallowed be Your Name because of Grace in the Name of Your Son who You sent into this world not to be served, but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for our Sin.
Hallowed be Your Name because of Grace in the Name of Your Son who paid the price for our Sin so that we could be set free from death and live eternally in the Kingdom of Heaven with You.
Hallowed be Your Name because of Grace in the Name of Your Son who suffered betrayal, torture, and the merciless death of crucifixion at our hands even though it was for our sake.
Thy Kingdom come on earth as it is in Heaven so that those who today are outcasts will one day be accepted by the world.
Thy Kingdom come on earth as it is in Heaven so that we will serve as Your Son served on earth, as servants, giving our lives to others.
Thy Kingdom come on earth as it is in Heaven so that we will take time, stop what we’re doing, hear the cries of others for mercy, ask them what they want, and help to provide them it in the Name of Your Son.
Give us today our daily bread like the workers wages from the vineyard Owner.
Give us today our daily bread like the disciple’s teachings from following Jesus.
Give us today our daily bread like the blind men’s healings from asking Jesus.
Forgive us our trespasses, like the first hired vineyard workers when we think You aren’t being fair - as we forgive those who trespass against us.
Forgive us our trespasses, like when we seek positions of privilege like James and John - as we forgive those who trespass against us.
Forgive us our trespasses, like the crowd outside of Jericho when we discount the weak of the world - as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation, thinking we’re great when we’re not.
And lead us not into temptation, thinking we’re first when we’re not.
And lead us not into temptation, thinking we’re privileged when we’re not.
For Thine is the Kingdom, the Power and the Glory, Forever and Ever,
In Jesus Name, Amen
SONG 'Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone) (See ...' by Chris Tomlin @imeem http://x.imeem.com/hdVbU_tpl1
Saturday, August 15, 2009
YOUR HEART
AUGUST 15, 2009 SATURDAY SCRIPTURE MATTHEW 19
TEXT http://net.bible.org/bible.php?book=Mat&chapter=19#n23
MESSAGE
“Divorce”
After addressing Peter’s questions about forgiveness, Jesus went across the Jordan River to Judea where he healed many in the large crowds who followed Him there before some Pharisees came to test him by asking Him whether it was lawful for man to divorce his wife for any reason – something they said Moses permitted. Jesus responded by quoting from the Creation Story about a man being united to his wife with the two becoming one flesh – adding that what God has joined together, no one should separate. He told them that Moses allowed them to divorce only because they were heartless, and he told them if they divorce their wife for any reason other than for sexual sin, they will be committing adultery if they remarry. Jesus’ response to the Pharisees resulted in his disciples stating that if what he was saying about divorce is true it would be better not to get married. Jesus told them that there are certain men whose lives aren’t given to marriage including those who are eunuchs from birth, those who are made eunuchs through castration, and those who are in effect eunuchs because they remain celibate or sexually fast as a spiritual sacrifice to the LORD.
“Children”
When little children were brought by their parents to Jesus to lay his hands on and pray for them, the disciples began scolding the parents even though Jesus had already told them who the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven were the importance of treating them properly, e.g. not looking down on them and the Heavenly ramifications for doing so. Jesus told the disciples to stop what they were doing and the children came to Him. After placing His hands on them He moved on.
“The Rich”
After this a man approached Jesus and asked Him what good thing he needed to do to earn eternal life. Jesus told him there is only one who is good-God, that no one can do enough good to earn eternal life. However, Jesus told him if he wanted to have eternal life he needed to keep the commandments to which he responded, which ones? Listing several commandments, the man said he had obeyed them all but wondered what he still needed to do. At this point Jesus addressed the man's issue of coveting by telling him if he wanted to perfect at obeying all the commandments he needed to sell all his possessions and give his money to the poor at which point his treasure would be in Heaven. After doing this, Jesus said to come and follow Him. Not expecting to hear this, the man left very sad because he was very rich and wasn’t able to do what Jesus told to do because he loved his money more than God.
After the man left Jesus told his disciples how difficult it is for someone who is rich to receive eternal life emphasizing what he said by stating the impossible - that there is a greater possibility of a camel going through the eye of a needle than a rich person receiving eternal life. Since the disciples associated riches with God’s blessing, they were totally confused and asked Jesus if the rich couldn’t be saved then who could be? Jesus responded by telling them that eternal life is impossible for humans to attain whether they are rich or poor but that nothing is impossible for God. This led to Peter asking Jesus what was in store for the disciples in light of the sacrifices they have made in following Him. Jesus told Peter that when all things are renewed and when He was His Heavenly throne, the disciples would sit on twelve thrones and judge the twelve tribes of Israel. In addition, He told Peter whoever has left there house, family, and/or work to follow Him will receive a hundred times more and eternal life. Jesus went on to add that many who have been first in this life will be last in eternal life and many who have been last in this life will be first in eternal life.
TEACHING
Traveling towards Jerusalem, once inside Judea Jesus heals many people in the large crowds following Him giving further evidence that he is the Christ, the Son of the Living God. However, once in Judea, he is soon tested by the Pharisees with a question about whether a man is permitted to divorce his wife for any reason. The permitted reasons for divorce in Jewish society was a conflict even amongst the Jews and therefore they likely raised this question Jesus with the intent of trying to trap Him on this issue in the Herod’s district where John the Baptist lost his life over confronting Herod about remarrying his brother’s wife. The question was also a reflection of the Pharisees’ hard hearts – something Jesus pointed out as the reason Moses had permitted liberal divorce in the first place. Jesus answered their question by referring back to Genesis which based marriage in the creation thereby defining divorce as unnatural and rebellion against God. He discussed divorce as permittible only under the condition of sexual sin since this broke the “one flesh” basis of marriage in the story of creation. Ignoring what he said about the creation, his disciples questioned whether it was therefore better not to marry and he told them that some are called to live unmarried, although he didn't say say this option was preferable.
In fact, immediately after this encounter with the Pharisees, little children were brought by their parents to have Jesus place his hands on and pray for them indicating one of the glorious results of marriage – children, who although had recently been highlighted as the greatest in the kingdom of heaven due to their humility and faith, were kept from coming to Him by the disciples who reprimanded the parents for bothering Jesus with them. Jesus intervened with his disciples, the children came to Him, he placed his hands on them and when He was finished they moved on.
After this, Jesus is approached by a child who has grown up to become a very wealthy man who has everything and who asks Jesus what good thing he must do in order to have, to earn like he has obtained everything else he owns, eternal life. Jesus immediately corrects him that there is only one who is good-God-and that he can not earn the goodness of God by anything he does in life. However, despite telling him this he goes on to show him the impossibility of earning eternal life by telling him that if he wants to attain it he needs to keep the commandments to which the man ask him which commandments he needs to keep. Jesus responds by listing the 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th & 5th commandments of Exodus 20 as well as that he must love his neighbor as himself to with the man stated that he has obeyed all of them. Still lacking assurance, he asks Jesus what else he needs to do at which point Jesus tells him that to perfectly follow the commandments he needs to follow Him as the Christ, the Son of the Living God, above anything else and that in order to do this he needs to first need sell all of his possessions and give away all of his money to the poor. At this, the man went home sad because he was rich and was aware that his riches were competing for first place in his heart for God.
Afterwards, Jesus discussed with his disciples the impossibility of the rich entering eternal life because of how their money and possessions compete for first place in their heart with God like with the man who had just left them. He used the analogy of the impossibility of a camel going through the eye of a needle to illustrate just how impossible it is for the rich to receive eternal life. The disciples were confused by this because the understanding during their day was that those who were wealthy had been blessed by God and if they had been blessed by God they were on the road to eternal life. Their understanding of who receives eternal life was turned upside down until Jesus told them that eternal life is impossible for anyone, rich or poor to earn, but what is impossible for people to do, is possible for God to do. This led to Peter raising a concern of the disciples that with all they had sacrificed in following Jesus what their reward would be. Jesus told him that they would receive eternal life and be greatly reward in the Kingdom of Heaven including being given the position of sitting in judgment of the twelve tribes of Israel who failed to believe in Him as the Christ, the Son of the Living God. Jesus also reminded the disciples that many who have been privileged in this life with positions of power and wealth will be last in the Kingdom of Heaven and many in this life who have been in need and have lived powerless and in poverty will be first in the Kingdom of Heaven.
HEALING
Our Father in Heaven, we give You praise for all the people Your Son healed when he entered Judea on his journey towards Jerusalem and we give You praise for all the people who have been Healed – Saved by Your Son’s sacrifice since his death and resurrection because they have confessed Him as the Christ, the Son of the Living God. We also give You praise for all who are healed physically, emotionally, and spiritually today because of the power of Your Holy Spirit whether Your Spirit works supernaturally or naturally through Your gifts of medicine and therapy.
Our Father in Heaven, we thank You for Your creation basis of marriage and ask that Your Spirit protect the basis of all marriages from harm so that divorce can occur less and less in this world because it goes against Your plan and in this way is unnatural. We acknowledge the great pain and suffering associated with the broken relationships of divorce within a family and the children who are the most vulnerability to this pain and suffering when divorce occurs. We ask for Your Son’s healing touch and prayer for these children whether they are young or whether have grown up in the way he touched and prayed for the children whose parents brought them to Him In Judea. We also thank You for the vital relationships in life for those in the Kingdom who are not given to marriage. We pray that You sustain them through these relationships modeled on the amongst You as Father, Your Son and Your Holy Spirit.
Our Father in Heaven, help us to escape the behavioral way in which we are raised in which we learn at an early age we get something by doing something. Lord, this is so deeply ingrained in us at such an early age that it is difficult to break free of this way of thinking. It makes us feel unworthy unless we do something to earn our value. Lord it makes it hard to receive something of value unconditionally – especially the love of another and especially the Gift of eternal life which is impossible for us to attain on our own, for us to earn because of good works, although it is not impossible for You to give us as You have-through the death and resurrection of Your Son who died on the Cross with the weight of all Sin for all time placed upon Him. Lord help us to received and be assured of our eternal life by creating in us the humble faith of a child in what You Son has done for us so that our heart is not divided between the things of this world and You, so that there is no doubt in our minds that You take first place, and so that we do not walk away like the rich man suffering and sad because of our awareness of our inability to place You ahead of our money and possession and part with whatever You ask us to in this world in order to follow Your Son.
Our Father in Heaven, humble us so that we are among the last in this world.
In Jesus Name, Amen.
SONG 'Rich Young Ruler' by Derek Webb @imeem http://x.imeem.com/E3zIydKGhL
TEXT http://net.bible.org/bible.php?book=Mat&chapter=19#n23
MESSAGE
“Divorce”
After addressing Peter’s questions about forgiveness, Jesus went across the Jordan River to Judea where he healed many in the large crowds who followed Him there before some Pharisees came to test him by asking Him whether it was lawful for man to divorce his wife for any reason – something they said Moses permitted. Jesus responded by quoting from the Creation Story about a man being united to his wife with the two becoming one flesh – adding that what God has joined together, no one should separate. He told them that Moses allowed them to divorce only because they were heartless, and he told them if they divorce their wife for any reason other than for sexual sin, they will be committing adultery if they remarry. Jesus’ response to the Pharisees resulted in his disciples stating that if what he was saying about divorce is true it would be better not to get married. Jesus told them that there are certain men whose lives aren’t given to marriage including those who are eunuchs from birth, those who are made eunuchs through castration, and those who are in effect eunuchs because they remain celibate or sexually fast as a spiritual sacrifice to the LORD.
“Children”
When little children were brought by their parents to Jesus to lay his hands on and pray for them, the disciples began scolding the parents even though Jesus had already told them who the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven were the importance of treating them properly, e.g. not looking down on them and the Heavenly ramifications for doing so. Jesus told the disciples to stop what they were doing and the children came to Him. After placing His hands on them He moved on.
“The Rich”
After this a man approached Jesus and asked Him what good thing he needed to do to earn eternal life. Jesus told him there is only one who is good-God, that no one can do enough good to earn eternal life. However, Jesus told him if he wanted to have eternal life he needed to keep the commandments to which he responded, which ones? Listing several commandments, the man said he had obeyed them all but wondered what he still needed to do. At this point Jesus addressed the man's issue of coveting by telling him if he wanted to perfect at obeying all the commandments he needed to sell all his possessions and give his money to the poor at which point his treasure would be in Heaven. After doing this, Jesus said to come and follow Him. Not expecting to hear this, the man left very sad because he was very rich and wasn’t able to do what Jesus told to do because he loved his money more than God.
After the man left Jesus told his disciples how difficult it is for someone who is rich to receive eternal life emphasizing what he said by stating the impossible - that there is a greater possibility of a camel going through the eye of a needle than a rich person receiving eternal life. Since the disciples associated riches with God’s blessing, they were totally confused and asked Jesus if the rich couldn’t be saved then who could be? Jesus responded by telling them that eternal life is impossible for humans to attain whether they are rich or poor but that nothing is impossible for God. This led to Peter asking Jesus what was in store for the disciples in light of the sacrifices they have made in following Him. Jesus told Peter that when all things are renewed and when He was His Heavenly throne, the disciples would sit on twelve thrones and judge the twelve tribes of Israel. In addition, He told Peter whoever has left there house, family, and/or work to follow Him will receive a hundred times more and eternal life. Jesus went on to add that many who have been first in this life will be last in eternal life and many who have been last in this life will be first in eternal life.
TEACHING
Traveling towards Jerusalem, once inside Judea Jesus heals many people in the large crowds following Him giving further evidence that he is the Christ, the Son of the Living God. However, once in Judea, he is soon tested by the Pharisees with a question about whether a man is permitted to divorce his wife for any reason. The permitted reasons for divorce in Jewish society was a conflict even amongst the Jews and therefore they likely raised this question Jesus with the intent of trying to trap Him on this issue in the Herod’s district where John the Baptist lost his life over confronting Herod about remarrying his brother’s wife. The question was also a reflection of the Pharisees’ hard hearts – something Jesus pointed out as the reason Moses had permitted liberal divorce in the first place. Jesus answered their question by referring back to Genesis which based marriage in the creation thereby defining divorce as unnatural and rebellion against God. He discussed divorce as permittible only under the condition of sexual sin since this broke the “one flesh” basis of marriage in the story of creation. Ignoring what he said about the creation, his disciples questioned whether it was therefore better not to marry and he told them that some are called to live unmarried, although he didn't say say this option was preferable.
In fact, immediately after this encounter with the Pharisees, little children were brought by their parents to have Jesus place his hands on and pray for them indicating one of the glorious results of marriage – children, who although had recently been highlighted as the greatest in the kingdom of heaven due to their humility and faith, were kept from coming to Him by the disciples who reprimanded the parents for bothering Jesus with them. Jesus intervened with his disciples, the children came to Him, he placed his hands on them and when He was finished they moved on.
After this, Jesus is approached by a child who has grown up to become a very wealthy man who has everything and who asks Jesus what good thing he must do in order to have, to earn like he has obtained everything else he owns, eternal life. Jesus immediately corrects him that there is only one who is good-God-and that he can not earn the goodness of God by anything he does in life. However, despite telling him this he goes on to show him the impossibility of earning eternal life by telling him that if he wants to attain it he needs to keep the commandments to which the man ask him which commandments he needs to keep. Jesus responds by listing the 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th & 5th commandments of Exodus 20 as well as that he must love his neighbor as himself to with the man stated that he has obeyed all of them. Still lacking assurance, he asks Jesus what else he needs to do at which point Jesus tells him that to perfectly follow the commandments he needs to follow Him as the Christ, the Son of the Living God, above anything else and that in order to do this he needs to first need sell all of his possessions and give away all of his money to the poor. At this, the man went home sad because he was rich and was aware that his riches were competing for first place in his heart for God.
Afterwards, Jesus discussed with his disciples the impossibility of the rich entering eternal life because of how their money and possessions compete for first place in their heart with God like with the man who had just left them. He used the analogy of the impossibility of a camel going through the eye of a needle to illustrate just how impossible it is for the rich to receive eternal life. The disciples were confused by this because the understanding during their day was that those who were wealthy had been blessed by God and if they had been blessed by God they were on the road to eternal life. Their understanding of who receives eternal life was turned upside down until Jesus told them that eternal life is impossible for anyone, rich or poor to earn, but what is impossible for people to do, is possible for God to do. This led to Peter raising a concern of the disciples that with all they had sacrificed in following Jesus what their reward would be. Jesus told him that they would receive eternal life and be greatly reward in the Kingdom of Heaven including being given the position of sitting in judgment of the twelve tribes of Israel who failed to believe in Him as the Christ, the Son of the Living God. Jesus also reminded the disciples that many who have been privileged in this life with positions of power and wealth will be last in the Kingdom of Heaven and many in this life who have been in need and have lived powerless and in poverty will be first in the Kingdom of Heaven.
HEALING
Our Father in Heaven, we give You praise for all the people Your Son healed when he entered Judea on his journey towards Jerusalem and we give You praise for all the people who have been Healed – Saved by Your Son’s sacrifice since his death and resurrection because they have confessed Him as the Christ, the Son of the Living God. We also give You praise for all who are healed physically, emotionally, and spiritually today because of the power of Your Holy Spirit whether Your Spirit works supernaturally or naturally through Your gifts of medicine and therapy.
Our Father in Heaven, we thank You for Your creation basis of marriage and ask that Your Spirit protect the basis of all marriages from harm so that divorce can occur less and less in this world because it goes against Your plan and in this way is unnatural. We acknowledge the great pain and suffering associated with the broken relationships of divorce within a family and the children who are the most vulnerability to this pain and suffering when divorce occurs. We ask for Your Son’s healing touch and prayer for these children whether they are young or whether have grown up in the way he touched and prayed for the children whose parents brought them to Him In Judea. We also thank You for the vital relationships in life for those in the Kingdom who are not given to marriage. We pray that You sustain them through these relationships modeled on the amongst You as Father, Your Son and Your Holy Spirit.
Our Father in Heaven, help us to escape the behavioral way in which we are raised in which we learn at an early age we get something by doing something. Lord, this is so deeply ingrained in us at such an early age that it is difficult to break free of this way of thinking. It makes us feel unworthy unless we do something to earn our value. Lord it makes it hard to receive something of value unconditionally – especially the love of another and especially the Gift of eternal life which is impossible for us to attain on our own, for us to earn because of good works, although it is not impossible for You to give us as You have-through the death and resurrection of Your Son who died on the Cross with the weight of all Sin for all time placed upon Him. Lord help us to received and be assured of our eternal life by creating in us the humble faith of a child in what You Son has done for us so that our heart is not divided between the things of this world and You, so that there is no doubt in our minds that You take first place, and so that we do not walk away like the rich man suffering and sad because of our awareness of our inability to place You ahead of our money and possession and part with whatever You ask us to in this world in order to follow Your Son.
Our Father in Heaven, humble us so that we are among the last in this world.
In Jesus Name, Amen.
SONG 'Rich Young Ruler' by Derek Webb @imeem http://x.imeem.com/E3zIydKGhL
Friday, August 14, 2009
SHEPHERDS
AUGUST 14, 2009 FRIDAY SCRIPTURE MATTHEW 18
TEXT http://net.bible.org/bible.php?book=Mat&chapter=18#n34
MESSAGE
“Greatest”
Asked who the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven is, Jesus calls a child to stand among the disciples as an example of a humble and trusting believer of His and tells them not only does it require humility and faith to enter the Kingdom of Heaven but that this is the basis of greatness in the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus goes on to tell his disciples that being kind to one of his humble trusting believers is the same as being kind to Him. He also tells them that if anyone causes one of his humble trusting believers to sin, that person would have been better off having died a horrible death before doing this given what’s at stake for them after they’ve done it. Given the eternal risk to their soul, Jesus tells his disciples a person like this would be better off cutting off one of their hands or feet or tearing out one of their eyes if it would have prevented them from causing a humble trusting believer of His to sin.
“The Lost Sheep”
Furthermore, Jesus tells his disciples that in addition to not being led into sin, his humble trusting believers are not to be looked down on or shown disrespect by others because they are being protected by angels who have such a close relationship with His Father in Heaven they see His face and therefore are under the personal protection of His Father. Jesus goes on to tell his disciples that because of this, if even one of His humble trusting believers is led astray, He will leave all of His other believers until the one who was led astray and became lost has been found at which point both He and His Father will rejoice more over the one who has been found than all of those who never became lost.
“Restoring Christian Relationships”
Jesus then outlines for His disciples steps in the community of believers for one to take if someone has sinned against them. He told them to begin with go privately to the person and tell them what they have done wrong and if they acknowledge the wrong and accept responsibility for it the relationship has been restored. However, if this does not happen, he tells them they are to make a second attempt at doing this but this time by bringing one or two people with to provide accountability and serve as witnesses. If the person continues to deny wrong doing, he tells them to bring the matter in front of the church and if the person refuses to listen to the church he is to be treated like an outsider until he acknowledges what he has done wrong and accepts responsibility for it so that the relationship in the community can be restored.
Jesus tells the disciples that in the same way that their confession of Him as the Christ, the Son of the Living God determines who enters the Kingdom of Heaven or not, their following this process of reconciliation to the point a person acknowledges their wrong doing and takes responsibility for it determines whether they remain in the community of fellowship or not.
When asked by Peter how many times he must forgive someone who sins against him Jesus told him there is no numerical limit, that he should forgive someone as many times as it is necessary to maintain relationship with them in the community.
“Unmerciful, Unforgiving”
Jesus then tells the disciples a story about the Kingdom of Heaven to further respond to Peter’s question about forgiveness. In the story, there was a man who owed a king, who was calling due his accounts, a huge sum of money. Since he was unable to repay it he, along with his wife, children and his possessions were being ordered to be sold to collect at least partial payment against the debt. But when the man cried out for mercy, the king had compassion on him and forgave him the entire debt. However, despite this, he found a man who owed him a relatively small amount of money and demanded that he immediately pay him. When he was unable to he began beating on him at which point the man begged for mercy, telling him if he was patient he would eventually pay him back. But he would have nothing of this and had the man placed in jail until he could repay him. Word of what he did got back to the king who was very upset, called him back, and because he hadn’t shown the mercy he had been given was thrown in prison to be tortured until his unpayable debt was repaid. Jesus concluded by telling his disciples that this is what his Father will do to them if they do not forgive from their heart.
TEACHING
“Greatest”
Concerned about who the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven is, the disciples were likely surprised when Jesus called a child over as the prime example of greatness because they were modest, trusting believers of His. He told them this was not only the basis of greatness but that it was required to even enter the Kingdom.
The disciples may have been even more surprised when Jesus went on to describe the importance of treating children and modest, trusting believers properly. He told them that by being kind to them they were being kind to Him. He also told them that if someone caused a child or a modest, trusting believer to sin, that person would have been better off dying a horrible death prior to this situation developing because of the consequences they’ll face. He said their eternal soul is at such risk that they would have been better off disabling them self in a way that would have prevented this from ever happening.
“The Lost Sheep”
Jesus also tells his disciples that proper treatment of children and modest, trusting believers includes their not being looked down on or being disrespected by others, unless they want to deal with God about this as well, because of the protection he provides them through angels who are remain in close contact with Him in Heaven.
Jesus ends his answer to the disciples about who the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven is by telling them a story about a lost sheep (a child or one of His modest, trusting believers who has been led astray) and how the shepherd (Jesus) leaves all the other sheep (all the believers who have not been led astray) to search for the lost sheep until it is found at which point the shepherd (Jesus) and God rejoice more over finding the lost sheep (child or modest, trusting believer led astray) than over all the other believers who hadn’t been.
“Restoring Christian Relationships”
Sin occurs everywhere including within the community of believers and Jesus goes on to outline a process for his disciples and believers to take if someone in the community (church) has sinned against them. He tells them the first thing is to go directly to the person who has wronged you, keeping the issue just between the two of you and address it with them, but if they deny any wrong doing, the next step is to approach them again with one or two people who can provide accountability and witnesses the encounter so that there won't be two versions of what happens during the second meeting. If the person continues to deny any wrong doing, He tells them the third and final step is to address the issues in front of the entire community, such that the issue has now moved from being an entirely private matter to a totally public matter, and if the person continues to deny any wrong doing, the person is to then be treated as an outsider to the community (excommunicated) until they stop denying their wrong doing and accept responsibility for what they have done so that relationship in the community can be restored.
Jesus tells the disciples that their following this process determines whether someone remains in fellowship in the community (church) with others or not, is a special case of what he earlier told them about their confession of Him as the Christ, the Son of the Living God determining who has fellowship in the Kingdom of Heaven and who doesn’t. However, one has eternal fellowship consequences while one doesn’t.
When Peter tries to quantify or put a number on how many times he is required to forgive someone, Jesus informs him forgiveness is without limit, that he is to forgive as many times as it takes to maintain relationship in the community (church) and by implication the community at large as well.
“Unmerciful, Unforgiving”
The Kingdom of Heaven story Jesus tells in further response to Peter’s forgiveness question gets at the heart of the matter. God as the King in the story forgives the debt of sin that we would never be able to repay no matter how hard we tried. When we cry out to Him like the man with the impossible financial situation, because of our impossible sin situation, He is merciful and forgives us without condition.
However, after having been forgiven an unimaginable debt of sin, and then to be unmerciful and unforgiving of someone who has wronged us, when whatever wrong we have suffered is imperceptible in comparison to the wrong we have been shown mercy and forgiveness for, reveals a heart that has not been transformed by the mercy and forgiveness God has freely given. And a heart that has not been transformed by this Great Gift hasn’t really accepted the Gift and continues to owe the huge debt of sin it has been collecting and will suffer accordingly-what Jesus told the disciples will happen if their hearts are not transformed so that their forgiveness of others is based on Love like His Father’s forgiveness is.
HEALING
Our Father in Heaven, Thy Kingdom come on earth as it is in Heaven. Forgive us today for our pride which we hide behind, which we use to make ourselves feel great and look great in this world. Give us today the humility of those who are the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven, the modesty and trusting nature of children who believe in Your Son. We ask for healing of the wounds we carry that have led to the building of our pride and thinking that we need to protect who we are by building ourselves up in a false and unhealthy way instead of trusting that our value and worth come from You and You alone; that our circumstances, what has happened to us, what we have, how we are treated by others, or what we have or do does not determine our value in any way.
Our Father, we ask that we would be welcoming and show kindness to the humble and we ask that You protect us so that we do not lead anyone astray, into sin, making them a lost sheep, by anything we say or do. We pray that you would help us to consider what we say and do ahead of time because of the effects it may have on others and in this way help us to disable ourselves and prevent us from leading children, believers and nonbelievers down a destructive path.
Our Father, we ask that You Holy Spirit will empower and give us the courage necessary to address with love the conflicts that develop in our relationships that need to be resolved whether in the community of the church or other communities. Give us the wisdom and strength to approach these conflicts in the manner in which Your Son prescribed, keeping in mind they have to do with maintaining relationships in a community, not maintaining relationship with all who have wronged us such as those who have committed acts of physical, emotional, or sexual abuse where continued community is no longer safe or community never existed. Give us comfort that when we follow this process that not only are You with us but there are the protections of witnesses built in as well. When restoration of relationship is not possible, give us the Love in our heart to forgive those who have hurt us in spite of our pain - releasing this pain in the process.
Our Father, heal and transform our hearts by the forgiveness we have received because of the sacrifice Your Son made on the Cross so that we will live lives reflecting Your mercy, forgiveness and love to others and by doing so not only be agents of healing in this world, but shepherds as well.
In Jesus Name, Amen
SONG 'The Good Shepherd' by Dennis Sphatt @imeem http://x.imeem.com/4NPHiRGiMq
TEXT http://net.bible.org/bible.php?book=Mat&chapter=18#n34
MESSAGE
“Greatest”
Asked who the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven is, Jesus calls a child to stand among the disciples as an example of a humble and trusting believer of His and tells them not only does it require humility and faith to enter the Kingdom of Heaven but that this is the basis of greatness in the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus goes on to tell his disciples that being kind to one of his humble trusting believers is the same as being kind to Him. He also tells them that if anyone causes one of his humble trusting believers to sin, that person would have been better off having died a horrible death before doing this given what’s at stake for them after they’ve done it. Given the eternal risk to their soul, Jesus tells his disciples a person like this would be better off cutting off one of their hands or feet or tearing out one of their eyes if it would have prevented them from causing a humble trusting believer of His to sin.
“The Lost Sheep”
Furthermore, Jesus tells his disciples that in addition to not being led into sin, his humble trusting believers are not to be looked down on or shown disrespect by others because they are being protected by angels who have such a close relationship with His Father in Heaven they see His face and therefore are under the personal protection of His Father. Jesus goes on to tell his disciples that because of this, if even one of His humble trusting believers is led astray, He will leave all of His other believers until the one who was led astray and became lost has been found at which point both He and His Father will rejoice more over the one who has been found than all of those who never became lost.
“Restoring Christian Relationships”
Jesus then outlines for His disciples steps in the community of believers for one to take if someone has sinned against them. He told them to begin with go privately to the person and tell them what they have done wrong and if they acknowledge the wrong and accept responsibility for it the relationship has been restored. However, if this does not happen, he tells them they are to make a second attempt at doing this but this time by bringing one or two people with to provide accountability and serve as witnesses. If the person continues to deny wrong doing, he tells them to bring the matter in front of the church and if the person refuses to listen to the church he is to be treated like an outsider until he acknowledges what he has done wrong and accepts responsibility for it so that the relationship in the community can be restored.
Jesus tells the disciples that in the same way that their confession of Him as the Christ, the Son of the Living God determines who enters the Kingdom of Heaven or not, their following this process of reconciliation to the point a person acknowledges their wrong doing and takes responsibility for it determines whether they remain in the community of fellowship or not.
When asked by Peter how many times he must forgive someone who sins against him Jesus told him there is no numerical limit, that he should forgive someone as many times as it is necessary to maintain relationship with them in the community.
“Unmerciful, Unforgiving”
Jesus then tells the disciples a story about the Kingdom of Heaven to further respond to Peter’s question about forgiveness. In the story, there was a man who owed a king, who was calling due his accounts, a huge sum of money. Since he was unable to repay it he, along with his wife, children and his possessions were being ordered to be sold to collect at least partial payment against the debt. But when the man cried out for mercy, the king had compassion on him and forgave him the entire debt. However, despite this, he found a man who owed him a relatively small amount of money and demanded that he immediately pay him. When he was unable to he began beating on him at which point the man begged for mercy, telling him if he was patient he would eventually pay him back. But he would have nothing of this and had the man placed in jail until he could repay him. Word of what he did got back to the king who was very upset, called him back, and because he hadn’t shown the mercy he had been given was thrown in prison to be tortured until his unpayable debt was repaid. Jesus concluded by telling his disciples that this is what his Father will do to them if they do not forgive from their heart.
TEACHING
“Greatest”
Concerned about who the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven is, the disciples were likely surprised when Jesus called a child over as the prime example of greatness because they were modest, trusting believers of His. He told them this was not only the basis of greatness but that it was required to even enter the Kingdom.
The disciples may have been even more surprised when Jesus went on to describe the importance of treating children and modest, trusting believers properly. He told them that by being kind to them they were being kind to Him. He also told them that if someone caused a child or a modest, trusting believer to sin, that person would have been better off dying a horrible death prior to this situation developing because of the consequences they’ll face. He said their eternal soul is at such risk that they would have been better off disabling them self in a way that would have prevented this from ever happening.
“The Lost Sheep”
Jesus also tells his disciples that proper treatment of children and modest, trusting believers includes their not being looked down on or being disrespected by others, unless they want to deal with God about this as well, because of the protection he provides them through angels who are remain in close contact with Him in Heaven.
Jesus ends his answer to the disciples about who the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven is by telling them a story about a lost sheep (a child or one of His modest, trusting believers who has been led astray) and how the shepherd (Jesus) leaves all the other sheep (all the believers who have not been led astray) to search for the lost sheep until it is found at which point the shepherd (Jesus) and God rejoice more over finding the lost sheep (child or modest, trusting believer led astray) than over all the other believers who hadn’t been.
“Restoring Christian Relationships”
Sin occurs everywhere including within the community of believers and Jesus goes on to outline a process for his disciples and believers to take if someone in the community (church) has sinned against them. He tells them the first thing is to go directly to the person who has wronged you, keeping the issue just between the two of you and address it with them, but if they deny any wrong doing, the next step is to approach them again with one or two people who can provide accountability and witnesses the encounter so that there won't be two versions of what happens during the second meeting. If the person continues to deny any wrong doing, He tells them the third and final step is to address the issues in front of the entire community, such that the issue has now moved from being an entirely private matter to a totally public matter, and if the person continues to deny any wrong doing, the person is to then be treated as an outsider to the community (excommunicated) until they stop denying their wrong doing and accept responsibility for what they have done so that relationship in the community can be restored.
Jesus tells the disciples that their following this process determines whether someone remains in fellowship in the community (church) with others or not, is a special case of what he earlier told them about their confession of Him as the Christ, the Son of the Living God determining who has fellowship in the Kingdom of Heaven and who doesn’t. However, one has eternal fellowship consequences while one doesn’t.
When Peter tries to quantify or put a number on how many times he is required to forgive someone, Jesus informs him forgiveness is without limit, that he is to forgive as many times as it takes to maintain relationship in the community (church) and by implication the community at large as well.
“Unmerciful, Unforgiving”
The Kingdom of Heaven story Jesus tells in further response to Peter’s forgiveness question gets at the heart of the matter. God as the King in the story forgives the debt of sin that we would never be able to repay no matter how hard we tried. When we cry out to Him like the man with the impossible financial situation, because of our impossible sin situation, He is merciful and forgives us without condition.
However, after having been forgiven an unimaginable debt of sin, and then to be unmerciful and unforgiving of someone who has wronged us, when whatever wrong we have suffered is imperceptible in comparison to the wrong we have been shown mercy and forgiveness for, reveals a heart that has not been transformed by the mercy and forgiveness God has freely given. And a heart that has not been transformed by this Great Gift hasn’t really accepted the Gift and continues to owe the huge debt of sin it has been collecting and will suffer accordingly-what Jesus told the disciples will happen if their hearts are not transformed so that their forgiveness of others is based on Love like His Father’s forgiveness is.
HEALING
Our Father in Heaven, Thy Kingdom come on earth as it is in Heaven. Forgive us today for our pride which we hide behind, which we use to make ourselves feel great and look great in this world. Give us today the humility of those who are the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven, the modesty and trusting nature of children who believe in Your Son. We ask for healing of the wounds we carry that have led to the building of our pride and thinking that we need to protect who we are by building ourselves up in a false and unhealthy way instead of trusting that our value and worth come from You and You alone; that our circumstances, what has happened to us, what we have, how we are treated by others, or what we have or do does not determine our value in any way.
Our Father, we ask that we would be welcoming and show kindness to the humble and we ask that You protect us so that we do not lead anyone astray, into sin, making them a lost sheep, by anything we say or do. We pray that you would help us to consider what we say and do ahead of time because of the effects it may have on others and in this way help us to disable ourselves and prevent us from leading children, believers and nonbelievers down a destructive path.
Our Father, we ask that You Holy Spirit will empower and give us the courage necessary to address with love the conflicts that develop in our relationships that need to be resolved whether in the community of the church or other communities. Give us the wisdom and strength to approach these conflicts in the manner in which Your Son prescribed, keeping in mind they have to do with maintaining relationships in a community, not maintaining relationship with all who have wronged us such as those who have committed acts of physical, emotional, or sexual abuse where continued community is no longer safe or community never existed. Give us comfort that when we follow this process that not only are You with us but there are the protections of witnesses built in as well. When restoration of relationship is not possible, give us the Love in our heart to forgive those who have hurt us in spite of our pain - releasing this pain in the process.
Our Father, heal and transform our hearts by the forgiveness we have received because of the sacrifice Your Son made on the Cross so that we will live lives reflecting Your mercy, forgiveness and love to others and by doing so not only be agents of healing in this world, but shepherds as well.
In Jesus Name, Amen
SONG 'The Good Shepherd' by Dennis Sphatt @imeem http://x.imeem.com/4NPHiRGiMq
Thursday, August 13, 2009
FACE DOWN
AUGUST 13, 2009 THURSDAY; SCRIPTURE: MATTHEW CHAPTER 17
TEXT: http://net.bible.org/bible.php?book=Mat&chapter=17
MESSAGE
Six days after Peter’s confession of Jesus this was confirmed without doubt by God Himself when Jesus took Peter, James and John up a high mountain where he was transfigured and they saw Him in his Glorified state. Moses and Elijah appeared with Him as the voice of God came out of the bright cloud that surrounded them saying, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him! Petrified, the disciples fell face first to the ground until Jesus came over and touched them telling them not to fear. Getting up, they found they were once again alone with Jesus.
While descending the mountain Jesus tells his disciples not to tell anyone about what they had witnessed until after he is raised from the dead. God having just verified Jesus as the Christ, His Son, the disciples ask Jesus why the experts on the law teach that Elijah must come before Christ appears. Jesus responds by telling them Elijah does come and restore all things and in fact had already come but wasn’t recognized and suffered and died as he too will - which led to the disciples’ understanding that the Elijah who was to come had been John the Baptist.
Coming down from the mountain, a man comes out from a crowd, kneels before Jesus and begs for mercy for his demon possessed son suffering from seizures who the disciples that remained behind were unable to heal. Calling the disciples an unbelieving and perverse generation, Jesus rebukes the demon, it comes out and the boy is healed. Afterwards in private when the disciples ask why they were unable to heal the boy Jesus tells them because of their little faith, i.e. because they were relying on their own strength instead of on the power of God in their attempts to heal the boy. Jesus tells them that God’s power is so great that it doesn’t take a lot of faith to do the impossible if that faith is rightly placed.
Together in Galilee, He again tells his disciples about the path he must follow as the Son of God, that he will be betrayed, killed and rise three days later; which caused them great distress even though they had already heard him say this.
In Capernaum, when Peter is questioned by the temple tax collectors about whether Jesus pays his yearly tax to support the temple he tells them that he does. On entering the house Jesus asks Peter whether earthly kings collect taxes from their sons or others to which Peter replies “others”. Jesus’ point is that the sons are free and that from the standpoint that the Kingdom of Heaven has come, He as the Son of God and King is exempt and Peter as a son in the Kingdom is exempt from paying the temple tax based on the old temple system as opposed to those who do not believe or belong to the Kingdom of Heaven. However, in humility he tells Peter to not offend the temple tax collectors by going fishing at the lake where he will find a coin in the mouth of the first fish he catches that will pay the yearly temple tax for both of them.
TEACHING
Peter, James and John see Jesus in his divine radiant state on a mountain top in the company of Moses and Elijah who he outshines as God, present in a cloud, declares Him his Son. This occurs only days after the Pharisees and Saducees demanded that Jesus give them a miraculous heavenly sign, Jesus was told by his disciples that the people thought he was a prophet like Elijah, and after Peter had confessed Him as the Christ, the Son of the Living God, but then was rebuked for what his human expectations of the Christ should be. The radiance of Jesus as God was so frightening to the disciples they fell to their faces on the ground. A touch from Jesus comforts them as they get up and head back down the mountain pondering out loud their knowledge of Malachi (4:5-6) that Elijah must come first and restore all things before the Christ (Messiah) comes – confused by the Scriptures having just witnessed firsthand that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of Living God. Their confusion is cleared up when they understand that John the Baptist was the Elijah who was to come and thus preceded Jesus.
Coming down from the mountain, there is more confusion amongst a crowd and a man who emerges begging Jesus for mercy for his demon possessed son with seizures who the 9 disciples who remained behind were unable to heal. Jesus expresses his disappointment with his disciples attempts at healing the boy, rebukes the demon, it leaves and immediately the boy is well. In a private discussion that follows Jesus tells his disciples that they have become self-reliant in their approach to healing instead of having faith and relying on the power of God as the source of all healing – something that allows them to do things for the Kingdom that are otherwise totally impossible.
Back in Galilee, Jesus again tells the disciples of the difficult path he must follow, something they all heard from him recently and Peter, James and John heard about on the way down the mountain when discussing Elijah coming before the Messiah. This time, in addition to him telling them about his having to suffer, die and rise from the dead three days later he also tells them of his pending betrayal.
With Jesus’ crucifixion at the hands of the religious leaders of the temple imminent, their representatives in the form of the temple tax collectors come to Peter questioning whether Jesus pays the yearly temple tax. After Peter tells them that Jesus does, Jesus discusses with Peter that His paying the temple tax is akin to God paying a tax to Himself, i.e. Jesus paying the temple tax to God as the Son of God and that in addition Peter is exempt from paying a tax to the old temple system when he is a son of the Kingdom of Heaven (in contrast to those who do not believe in Jesus as the Son of God and do not belong to the Kingdom of Heaven). However, out of humility Jesus tells Peter they will not needlessly offend the temple tax collectors and that there will be a coin in the mouth of the first fish he catches in the lake that will cover the tax for the both of them – again showing Peter his ability to miraculously multiply to provide.
HEALING
Our Father who art in Heaven. Your radiance reflected so brightly off the face of Moses it frightened the people of Israel so that he had to wear a veil to cover his face. How much brighter and radiant did your Son shine as he was seen in His transfigured, glorified state by Peter, James and John next to Moses and Elijah as they heard you speak within a cloud that he was your Son, that you loved Him, that you were pleased with him and that they should listen to Him. He did not reflect glory, He was Glory - a Glory so frightening it brought these disciples face first to the ground. Father, we come to you today in awe of Your Glory, your Son’s Glory, and the Glory of your Holy Spirit. We come face down to You today in humility as we try to comprehend what the disciples were trying to understand about who the Elijah who was to come first was and about what your Son’s difficult path involved and about what rising from the dead meant and means. Forgive us for our lack of understanding and for our lack of faith when we attempt to live for the Kingdom based on our own wisdom and our own strength instead of relying upon the power of the Holy spirit and the wisdom of Your Word that makes the impossible possible. Give us the wisdom and power to do the impossible when faced with confusion, with suffering, with persecution, and with unbelief. Help us to approach all of these situations with the humility shown by Your Son when he avoided creating needless offense by paying the temple tax to those who were plotting to crucify Him. Help us more and more each day to love and listen to Your Son. We ask for his comforting touch as we get up from the floor and return to our day. Help the light we have received to multiply by shining on someone else over the rest of today, lighting in them a spark and bringing them the comfort and touch that we have received from spending this time with you. In Jesus Name, Amen.
SONG: 'We Fall Down' by Kutless @imeem http://x.imeem.com/JJGww0PuQ5
TEXT: http://net.bible.org/bible.php?book=Mat&chapter=17
MESSAGE
Six days after Peter’s confession of Jesus this was confirmed without doubt by God Himself when Jesus took Peter, James and John up a high mountain where he was transfigured and they saw Him in his Glorified state. Moses and Elijah appeared with Him as the voice of God came out of the bright cloud that surrounded them saying, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him! Petrified, the disciples fell face first to the ground until Jesus came over and touched them telling them not to fear. Getting up, they found they were once again alone with Jesus.
While descending the mountain Jesus tells his disciples not to tell anyone about what they had witnessed until after he is raised from the dead. God having just verified Jesus as the Christ, His Son, the disciples ask Jesus why the experts on the law teach that Elijah must come before Christ appears. Jesus responds by telling them Elijah does come and restore all things and in fact had already come but wasn’t recognized and suffered and died as he too will - which led to the disciples’ understanding that the Elijah who was to come had been John the Baptist.
Coming down from the mountain, a man comes out from a crowd, kneels before Jesus and begs for mercy for his demon possessed son suffering from seizures who the disciples that remained behind were unable to heal. Calling the disciples an unbelieving and perverse generation, Jesus rebukes the demon, it comes out and the boy is healed. Afterwards in private when the disciples ask why they were unable to heal the boy Jesus tells them because of their little faith, i.e. because they were relying on their own strength instead of on the power of God in their attempts to heal the boy. Jesus tells them that God’s power is so great that it doesn’t take a lot of faith to do the impossible if that faith is rightly placed.
Together in Galilee, He again tells his disciples about the path he must follow as the Son of God, that he will be betrayed, killed and rise three days later; which caused them great distress even though they had already heard him say this.
In Capernaum, when Peter is questioned by the temple tax collectors about whether Jesus pays his yearly tax to support the temple he tells them that he does. On entering the house Jesus asks Peter whether earthly kings collect taxes from their sons or others to which Peter replies “others”. Jesus’ point is that the sons are free and that from the standpoint that the Kingdom of Heaven has come, He as the Son of God and King is exempt and Peter as a son in the Kingdom is exempt from paying the temple tax based on the old temple system as opposed to those who do not believe or belong to the Kingdom of Heaven. However, in humility he tells Peter to not offend the temple tax collectors by going fishing at the lake where he will find a coin in the mouth of the first fish he catches that will pay the yearly temple tax for both of them.
TEACHING
Peter, James and John see Jesus in his divine radiant state on a mountain top in the company of Moses and Elijah who he outshines as God, present in a cloud, declares Him his Son. This occurs only days after the Pharisees and Saducees demanded that Jesus give them a miraculous heavenly sign, Jesus was told by his disciples that the people thought he was a prophet like Elijah, and after Peter had confessed Him as the Christ, the Son of the Living God, but then was rebuked for what his human expectations of the Christ should be. The radiance of Jesus as God was so frightening to the disciples they fell to their faces on the ground. A touch from Jesus comforts them as they get up and head back down the mountain pondering out loud their knowledge of Malachi (4:5-6) that Elijah must come first and restore all things before the Christ (Messiah) comes – confused by the Scriptures having just witnessed firsthand that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of Living God. Their confusion is cleared up when they understand that John the Baptist was the Elijah who was to come and thus preceded Jesus.
Coming down from the mountain, there is more confusion amongst a crowd and a man who emerges begging Jesus for mercy for his demon possessed son with seizures who the 9 disciples who remained behind were unable to heal. Jesus expresses his disappointment with his disciples attempts at healing the boy, rebukes the demon, it leaves and immediately the boy is well. In a private discussion that follows Jesus tells his disciples that they have become self-reliant in their approach to healing instead of having faith and relying on the power of God as the source of all healing – something that allows them to do things for the Kingdom that are otherwise totally impossible.
Back in Galilee, Jesus again tells the disciples of the difficult path he must follow, something they all heard from him recently and Peter, James and John heard about on the way down the mountain when discussing Elijah coming before the Messiah. This time, in addition to him telling them about his having to suffer, die and rise from the dead three days later he also tells them of his pending betrayal.
With Jesus’ crucifixion at the hands of the religious leaders of the temple imminent, their representatives in the form of the temple tax collectors come to Peter questioning whether Jesus pays the yearly temple tax. After Peter tells them that Jesus does, Jesus discusses with Peter that His paying the temple tax is akin to God paying a tax to Himself, i.e. Jesus paying the temple tax to God as the Son of God and that in addition Peter is exempt from paying a tax to the old temple system when he is a son of the Kingdom of Heaven (in contrast to those who do not believe in Jesus as the Son of God and do not belong to the Kingdom of Heaven). However, out of humility Jesus tells Peter they will not needlessly offend the temple tax collectors and that there will be a coin in the mouth of the first fish he catches in the lake that will cover the tax for the both of them – again showing Peter his ability to miraculously multiply to provide.
HEALING
Our Father who art in Heaven. Your radiance reflected so brightly off the face of Moses it frightened the people of Israel so that he had to wear a veil to cover his face. How much brighter and radiant did your Son shine as he was seen in His transfigured, glorified state by Peter, James and John next to Moses and Elijah as they heard you speak within a cloud that he was your Son, that you loved Him, that you were pleased with him and that they should listen to Him. He did not reflect glory, He was Glory - a Glory so frightening it brought these disciples face first to the ground. Father, we come to you today in awe of Your Glory, your Son’s Glory, and the Glory of your Holy Spirit. We come face down to You today in humility as we try to comprehend what the disciples were trying to understand about who the Elijah who was to come first was and about what your Son’s difficult path involved and about what rising from the dead meant and means. Forgive us for our lack of understanding and for our lack of faith when we attempt to live for the Kingdom based on our own wisdom and our own strength instead of relying upon the power of the Holy spirit and the wisdom of Your Word that makes the impossible possible. Give us the wisdom and power to do the impossible when faced with confusion, with suffering, with persecution, and with unbelief. Help us to approach all of these situations with the humility shown by Your Son when he avoided creating needless offense by paying the temple tax to those who were plotting to crucify Him. Help us more and more each day to love and listen to Your Son. We ask for his comforting touch as we get up from the floor and return to our day. Help the light we have received to multiply by shining on someone else over the rest of today, lighting in them a spark and bringing them the comfort and touch that we have received from spending this time with you. In Jesus Name, Amen.
SONG: 'We Fall Down' by Kutless @imeem http://x.imeem.com/JJGww0PuQ5
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
THE KEYS
AUGUST 12, 2009 WEDNESDAY SCRIPTURE MATTHEW CHAPTER 16
TEXT http://net.bible.org/bible.php?search=Matthew%2016&book=matthew&chapter=16
MESSAGE The Pharisees and Saducees who are spiritually unfaithful and blind to the signs of their time where the blind, mute, and lame are being healed and the dead are being raised, demand that Jesus give them a sign of his divine authority from heaven. He responds by contrasting their ability to forecast the weather by the signs in the sky with their inability to recognize the sign of the times testifying that he is the Messiah and that the Kingdom of Heaven has come. He leaves after telling them the only sign they will be given is that of Jonah-a reference to his rising from the grave after three days like Jonah who was released from the belly of the fish after three days.
Being warned by Jesus to beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Saducees as they cross the lake, the disciples take him literally because they forgot to bring bread with to eat. Realizing the disciples are worried about not having something to eat, Jesus rebukes them for not understanding what he was talking about and for their lack of faith of his ability to provide for them in light of the recent miraculous feedings of the 5000 and 4000 that included leftovers. In repeating his warning about yeast his disciples now understand that he is warning them about the corrupt teachings of the Pharisees and Saducees and how they can work their way into their lives like yeast in dough.
Given the Pharisees and Saducees blindness to who he is, Jesus asks his disciples who the people say he is and is told one of the Prophets from Scripture. In asking them who they say he is Peter confesses Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the Living God-a revelation given him by God not a conclusion reached on his own. Called “Blessed” by Jesus for this, Jesus also tells him that His Church will be founded on his confession which will serve as the keys to opening the entrance to the Kingdom to others – a Kingdom which evil will never be able to overpower.
Jesus then tells his disciples about the difficult path that lies ahead for Him including his suffering death and resurrection, something Peter objects to and is rebuked by Jesus for because now instead of his confession serving as a foundation for His Church, his objection stands as Satantic opposition to the foundation of His Church in that he is viewing the path of the Messiah through the eyes of man rather than through the eyes of God. Jesus goes on to give Peter and the disciples God’s, rather than man’s, perspective on life stating that if anyone wants to follow him they must take up their own cross daily, if they try to save their life they will lose it & if they lose their life following him they will find it, and asking them how it will benefit them if they gain the whole world but lose their life and what will they give in exchange for their life? He tells them that this is how their lives will be evaluated at the end of times when he returns in glory with angels. He also tells them that some will not experience death before they see him coming in His Kingdom which is soon revealed in His transfigured state.
TEACHING Telling the signs of the time. What are the signs of the time today? And how do we interpret them? The Pharisees and Saducees, blind to all the miraculous signs of Jesus’ ministry during their day demanded that he perform some big cosmic event to prove he was the Messiah before they would believe. The disciples, despite witnessing the signs of Jesus miraculously feeding crowds of 5000 and 4000 with a few loaves of bread and a few fish misunderstood his warning about the yeast of the Pharisees and Saducees and instead worried about where their next meal would come from.
While the Pharisees and Saducees were blind to who he was and while the people thought he was a great prophet, Peter confessed his faith in Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the Living God – a confession that serves as the foundation of Christ’s Church and as the keys to opening the door to all who confess him as Christ to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. However, in the next breath, Peter stands in opposition to the foundational confession revealed to him by God, by being unable to accept the path Christ must follow as the Son of God because of slipping into a human understanding of who Christ is suppose to be.
Jesus helps Peter and the other disciples understand God’s perspective on following Him and how people’s lives will be evaluated when he returns in His glory at the end of time including: unselfishly sacrificing themselves for others on a daily basis, losing their life by being his follower if they really want to find their life and losing their life by gaining the whole world or by exchanging their life for something other than Him. Jesus also tells his disciples that some will not experience death before they see Him coming in His Kingdom-three of whom soon get a preview of this when they witness Jesus in his transfigured state.
HEALING Our Father in Heaven, Your Kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven. Help us to be sure of our confession of Jesus as the Christ, Your Son, of You the Living God, who was seen in all his glory in a transfigured state by Peter, James and John shortly before his death and resurrection. Help us to witness who Your Son is to others so that the door to the Kingdom of Heaven will be opened to them by these keys of confession. Forgive us for our blindness in the past, our moments of blindness in the present and our holding tight to these keys rather than sharing them with others so that they too might enter in. Forgive us also when we worry about where we will get our daily bread, our daily meds, our counseling, and all of the other provisions we need to live and which you provide. We pray that we will beware of corrupt teachings that like yeast can enter our lives, expand and take over us so that we begin to view life from merely a human perspective rather than from that revealed in Scripture. Help us to live our lives as you instructed your disciples, lives that are unselfish and sacrificial, lives in which by following you we find ourselves rather than lose ourselves and lives in which we do not exchange our soul for anything in the world. We pray that we remain faithful to you in these ways and that our faith in You will lead to wholeness and healing in our lives in accordance with your will. In Jesus Name, Amen.
SONG 'Who Do You Say That I Am?' by The Highway Community @imeem http://x.imeem.com/gbnS5XOseM
TEXT http://net.bible.org/bible.php?search=Matthew%2016&book=matthew&chapter=16
MESSAGE The Pharisees and Saducees who are spiritually unfaithful and blind to the signs of their time where the blind, mute, and lame are being healed and the dead are being raised, demand that Jesus give them a sign of his divine authority from heaven. He responds by contrasting their ability to forecast the weather by the signs in the sky with their inability to recognize the sign of the times testifying that he is the Messiah and that the Kingdom of Heaven has come. He leaves after telling them the only sign they will be given is that of Jonah-a reference to his rising from the grave after three days like Jonah who was released from the belly of the fish after three days.
Being warned by Jesus to beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Saducees as they cross the lake, the disciples take him literally because they forgot to bring bread with to eat. Realizing the disciples are worried about not having something to eat, Jesus rebukes them for not understanding what he was talking about and for their lack of faith of his ability to provide for them in light of the recent miraculous feedings of the 5000 and 4000 that included leftovers. In repeating his warning about yeast his disciples now understand that he is warning them about the corrupt teachings of the Pharisees and Saducees and how they can work their way into their lives like yeast in dough.
Given the Pharisees and Saducees blindness to who he is, Jesus asks his disciples who the people say he is and is told one of the Prophets from Scripture. In asking them who they say he is Peter confesses Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the Living God-a revelation given him by God not a conclusion reached on his own. Called “Blessed” by Jesus for this, Jesus also tells him that His Church will be founded on his confession which will serve as the keys to opening the entrance to the Kingdom to others – a Kingdom which evil will never be able to overpower.
Jesus then tells his disciples about the difficult path that lies ahead for Him including his suffering death and resurrection, something Peter objects to and is rebuked by Jesus for because now instead of his confession serving as a foundation for His Church, his objection stands as Satantic opposition to the foundation of His Church in that he is viewing the path of the Messiah through the eyes of man rather than through the eyes of God. Jesus goes on to give Peter and the disciples God’s, rather than man’s, perspective on life stating that if anyone wants to follow him they must take up their own cross daily, if they try to save their life they will lose it & if they lose their life following him they will find it, and asking them how it will benefit them if they gain the whole world but lose their life and what will they give in exchange for their life? He tells them that this is how their lives will be evaluated at the end of times when he returns in glory with angels. He also tells them that some will not experience death before they see him coming in His Kingdom which is soon revealed in His transfigured state.
TEACHING Telling the signs of the time. What are the signs of the time today? And how do we interpret them? The Pharisees and Saducees, blind to all the miraculous signs of Jesus’ ministry during their day demanded that he perform some big cosmic event to prove he was the Messiah before they would believe. The disciples, despite witnessing the signs of Jesus miraculously feeding crowds of 5000 and 4000 with a few loaves of bread and a few fish misunderstood his warning about the yeast of the Pharisees and Saducees and instead worried about where their next meal would come from.
While the Pharisees and Saducees were blind to who he was and while the people thought he was a great prophet, Peter confessed his faith in Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the Living God – a confession that serves as the foundation of Christ’s Church and as the keys to opening the door to all who confess him as Christ to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. However, in the next breath, Peter stands in opposition to the foundational confession revealed to him by God, by being unable to accept the path Christ must follow as the Son of God because of slipping into a human understanding of who Christ is suppose to be.
Jesus helps Peter and the other disciples understand God’s perspective on following Him and how people’s lives will be evaluated when he returns in His glory at the end of time including: unselfishly sacrificing themselves for others on a daily basis, losing their life by being his follower if they really want to find their life and losing their life by gaining the whole world or by exchanging their life for something other than Him. Jesus also tells his disciples that some will not experience death before they see Him coming in His Kingdom-three of whom soon get a preview of this when they witness Jesus in his transfigured state.
HEALING Our Father in Heaven, Your Kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven. Help us to be sure of our confession of Jesus as the Christ, Your Son, of You the Living God, who was seen in all his glory in a transfigured state by Peter, James and John shortly before his death and resurrection. Help us to witness who Your Son is to others so that the door to the Kingdom of Heaven will be opened to them by these keys of confession. Forgive us for our blindness in the past, our moments of blindness in the present and our holding tight to these keys rather than sharing them with others so that they too might enter in. Forgive us also when we worry about where we will get our daily bread, our daily meds, our counseling, and all of the other provisions we need to live and which you provide. We pray that we will beware of corrupt teachings that like yeast can enter our lives, expand and take over us so that we begin to view life from merely a human perspective rather than from that revealed in Scripture. Help us to live our lives as you instructed your disciples, lives that are unselfish and sacrificial, lives in which by following you we find ourselves rather than lose ourselves and lives in which we do not exchange our soul for anything in the world. We pray that we remain faithful to you in these ways and that our faith in You will lead to wholeness and healing in our lives in accordance with your will. In Jesus Name, Amen.
SONG 'Who Do You Say That I Am?' by The Highway Community @imeem http://x.imeem.com/gbnS5XOseM
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