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Matthew 11

6/30/2012

Matthew 11:11-12 “I tell you the truth, of all who have ever lived, none is greater than John the Baptist. Yet even the least person in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than he is! And from the time John the Baptist began preaching until now, the Kingdom of Heaven has been forcefully advancing, and violent people are attacking it.”

The amazing thing about this is that John never sugar coated the message or made it appealing to people. He challenged with the truth and told them what God wanted them to hear. When people didn’t like what he was teaching he stayed bold and true to his calling. He didn’t dress for success or put on a show to get people to come hear him, he shared with people what they needed to know and what they needed to do and that’s what made people seek what he said.

In chapter 3 verses 4-5 it says, “John’s clothes were woven from coarse camel hair, and he wore a leather belt around his waist. For food he ate locust and wild honey. People from Jerusalem and from all of Judea and all over the Jordan Valley went out to see and hear John.” People were curious because it was the truth, not a beautiful packaged message. He also challenged the ones that thought they knew it all by calling them “brood of snakes! And then asking who warned you of God’s coming wrath..?”

It is so important that we learn the truth and we share the truth with boldness and love. God will make it grow and people’s hearts will change when they are challenged that the narrow road is not the easy safe road but the road that takes effort, responsibility and surrender. Amen

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Matthew 10

6/29/2012

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Matthew 10:34-36 “Don’t imagine that I came to bring peace to the earth! I came not to bring peace, but a sword. I have come to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-law against her mother-in-law. Your enemies will be right in your own household!”

We can never under estimate what the devil will do and how he will use people in our lives. We must remain focused on Christ and know that He is the way, the truth and the life and we can’t let anything get in the way of that.

Jesus said in verse 34, “…I came not to bring peace, but a sword.” As we see in Ephesians chapter 6 verse 17 which says, “Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” The sword is what we are supposed to learn and follow and we can’t let anything else cloud our growth or learning. We are given what we are to know, we just need to believe in Him and let Him change our hearts to focus on Him.

The enemy is anyone that makes us think of this world instead of the Father in Heaven. Jesus came to teach us and show us how it looks to be a child of God. When we believe that we must let our heart fill with the Spirit and we must continue to mature because Satan will use all possible tactics to make us stumble. Whatever Satan try’s or whomever he uses we need to stay focused and know the word so we can take up our cross and follow Christ instead of our own desires.

Matthew chapter 10 verse 28 says, “Don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” Turn to God and know who Jesus is and then we can make our focus Him and the Spirit can make Him our desire and we will surrender everything to Him. Amen

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Matthew 9

6/27/2012

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Matthew 9:27-29 “After Jesus left the girl’s home, two blind men followed along behind Him, shouting, ‘Son of David, have mercy on us!’ They went right into the house where He was staying, and Jesus asked them, “Do you believe I can make you see?” “Yes, Lord, they told Him, “we do.” Then He touched their eyes and said, ‘Because of your faith, it will happen.”

This stood out to me because these two men just didn’t hope they would see they had faith and knew they would see if Jesus said so. This is the faith Jesus wants from us. Not that we talk about it but that we live it and show that we believe it. When we open our heart and say your will be done do we really believe and have faith that His will be done? We can’t want it our way we must believe that it is real and we are better because we belong to Him. Those two men did whatever it took they even walked right into someone’s house because they knew what Jesus could do. We also know what Jesus can do so let’s surrender our control and say as the men did, “Yes Lord.” Then let’s prove by the way we live that our hearts have changed and we are new creations. Amen

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Matthew 7

6/26/2012

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Matthew 7:13-14 “You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it.”

This always makes me think and strive to know Jesus more. If we need to believe in Him and be like Him then we need to learn what we need to do and how we need to act. This only comes from dying to self and understanding we are new creations that must change our hearts and desire to be like Him. It says, “…the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult…”

God wants our hearts and when our hearts are right we work on living in obedience to what Jesus has shown us in the word. In chapter 7 verses 18-20 Jesus says, “So every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire. Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions.”

What does your life look like? Are you working toward a relationship with the Father? It is important as we mature in our walk on the narrow road. If the fruit we see is only for us then we have to check what we are learning. In John chapter 3 verse 16 it says, “For God loved the world so much that He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not parish but have eternal life.” Our fruit must look like that; us surrendering our desires and opening our hearts to His and living for others. Amen

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Matthew 5:43-45

6/25/2012

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Matthew 5:43-45 “You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy: But I say, Love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For He gives His sun light to both the evil and the good, and He sends rain on the just and the unjust alike.”

When our hearts change and we have tasted the peace that comes from the Lord you want everyone to experience it because it is not like anything in the world. That love for people helps them see that there is something different about us and it draws them to seek the Father in Heaven. Our attitude is what people want to see different in us. When we look like the world and act like the world we are not the light that shines but something that repels instead.

It is important to remember what Jesus says in Matthew chapter 5 verse 14, “You are the light of the world-like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a blanket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house.” We need to study and grow so we can’t help but shine like Christ. Being different is what draws people to the Father because we walk the talk and that is what people are looking for.

Chapter 5 verses 46-48 say, “If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pegans do that. But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.” Strive to be better every day and never be satisfied with what you know, God wants us to ask so ask and know that He is always there. Amen

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Matthew 5

6/22/2012

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Matthew 5:3 “God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for Him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.”

When I read this what jumped out to me was, “…and realize their need for Him…” That is so important because if we don’t see the need for Him we won’t seek Him and we won’t feel the blessings. He wants us to know Him and desire Him as our Father so we continually want to learn and grow.

Mathew chapter 7 verses 9-11 say, “You parents – if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask Him.” When we finally realize how much we need Him we can finally open our hearts to everything He wants us to know. We must understand that our walk is just that a walk and when we continue to seek Him we will find Him. Amen

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Matthew 4

6/21/2012

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Matthew 4:8-10 “Next the devil took Him to the peak of a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. ‘I will give it all to you, he said, if you will kneel down and worship me.’ “Get out of here satan, Jesus told him. ‘For the Scriptures say, ‘You must worship the Lord your God and serve only Him.”

This was after the third time the devil tempted Jesus and every time He went to Scripture (God’s word) to rebuke the devil. I liked this one because it is a warning to “…worship only God and serve only Him.” We can’t let the things of this world interfere with our focus or desires. This world has so many things that can give us instant gratification and keep us thinking we need them when all we need is God. We must remember that as we live on earth we are learning to be like Christ and we should be a light preparing for our real home in Heaven.

Jesus came so our focus would be Him and what He did and then He promised us peace of heart and mind to help us seek Him. After Jesus sees Simon also called Peter and Andrew his brother He says in Matthew chapter 4 verse 19, “…come, follow Me, and I will show you how to fish for people!” When we accept Jesus and are baptized we start our new life and we should begin working on fishing for people. This takes us wanting to know more and wanting to grow in wisdom and understanding. When we start our heart change we need to remember that the devil will tempt us to focus on the world and our old desires. We must stay strong and draw near to God so we can use His word as Jesus did to rebuke the devil.

We are complete when our mind and heart are working as one to focus on God and follow the Spirit who will lead us to be light. We need to keep on learning and keep on shining so our worship and service is clear and bold. Amen

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Zachariah 7

6/11/2012

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Zachariah 7:4-6 “The Lord of Heaven’s Armies sent me this message in reply: “Say to all your people and your priest, ‘During these seventy years of exile, when you fasted and mourned in the summer and in the early autumn was it really for me that you were fasting? And even now in your holy festivals, aren’t you eating and drinking just to please yourselves?”

This stood out to me as I read this morning because it made me think of my reasoning for doing things sometimes. Is it just for ritual or is it to glorify the Lord? Do I want to be seen as righteous or do I truly want to live righteously? I can fast and have celebrations but they need to be for truly learning and seeking the Lord’s wisdom so my obedience can show Him glory. I like what it said in one of the study bibles, “Biblical fasting is meant to be time taken from the normal routines of preparing and eating food to express humility and dependence on God during a time of prayer.”

We can’t get caught up by doing everything because people ask us too, we need to desire it in our own heart and want to show God our love by our living like Christ and being different than we were before. We can’t love the Lord and love the things of this world. In Matthew chapter 6 verse 24 it says, “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”

Our walk can’t be because it is what people tell us to do or because it’s what everyone is trying. It must be because our hearts are changed and we are seeking a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. We have to pray and ask, seek and knock because God is offering all we need to know if we would just surrender to our own desires. We can’t dabble in both we need to choose God and build our understanding by going to Him and opening our hearts. All we do needs to be done to glorify Him so the more we learn and live it out the better chance we have to choose life in Him instead of death in the world. Ask and pray daily –where are my desires please let them be for you Lord. Amen

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Malachi 1

6/4/2012

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Malachi 1:6-8 “The Lord of Heaven’s Armies says to the priests: “A son honors his father, and a servant respects his master. If I am your father and master, where are the honor and respect I deserve? You have shown contempt for my name! “But you ask, ‘How have we ever shown contempt for your name? You have shown contempt by offering defiled sacrifices on my alter. “Then you ask, ‘How have we defiled the sacrifices? “You defiled them by saying the alter of the Lord deserves no respect. When you give blind animals as sacrifices, isn’t that wrong? And isn’t it wrong to offer animals that are crippled and diseased? Try giving gifts like that to your governor, and see how pleased he is says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.”

We do the same today but with our lives. We want to do things for the Lord but we’re not all in or fully devoted so things we do are defiled sacrifices. We have to see how much God loves us and what He has done for us because when we realize that we will do everything to show our respect for Him. Not only did He create everything but He sent His Son so we could have a way back to Him. We must see this and know as new creations we can live righteously and make a difference with our sacrifices. When we are excited about this we want to learn more and when we learn more we give our best and when we give our best we are a light to the world.

Our walk is not about saying anything it is about living the way Jesus did and we can do that because God has given us His word and the Spirit to guide and direct us. Nothing in this world is ours and nothing can be put ahead of God. Our desires need to be getting wisdom from the Lord and then sharing that with people we come across.

When we accept Jesus as Lord and Savior we need to understand our mission in life becomes the great commission. Matthew chapter 28 verses 18-20 says, “Jesus came and told His disciples, “I have been given all authority in Heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

With joy and love we learn and mature and give glory to God because He gave it all to us. We need to say thank you and show Him our love by giving our all and running the race to win. Amen

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Revelation 21

6/2/2012

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Revelation 21:5-7; “And the One sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new! And then He said to me, “Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true.” And He also said, “It is finished!” I am the Alpha and the Omega-the Beginning and the End. To all who are thirsty I will give freely from the springs of the water of life. All who are victorious will inherit all these blessings and I will be their God, and they will be my children.”

I love this because we see how important our own willingness is and how important our choice is. It’s says, “...to all who are thirsty…” and “all who are victorious…” These are terms of seekers and people wanting more. We can’t sit back and hope our belief will get us through. We need to desire all that God offers and be willing to do everything we can to show we are fully devoted to Him. It is hard to be victorious when we are not willing to learn and embrace the new creations that we are. Victory comes to those who work hard and have faith to move mountains and when we ask God, He will deliver.

I read this in a sermon blog by Joe Crews who said, “By faith in the promise we become a partaker of the divine nature, and through the power of that new nature in us, we are able to escape the corruption of sin. In other words, everything depends on the surrender and commitment of oneself to the indwelling Spirit of Christ.” In John chapter 15, verse 5, it says, “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me, you can do nothing.”

When we die to self and open our hearts to the grace God gave on the cross, we can understand how amazing He is and that His way is freedom, joy and love. I love what it says in 1 John chapter 4 verse 4, “But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world.” We need to use the strength we have in Christ and live to make a difference in this world by actively pursuing a Christ like life.” Amen.

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Matthew 11

Matthew 10

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Matthew 7

Matthew 5:43-45

Matthew 5

Matthew 4

Zachariah 7

Malachi 1

Revelation 21

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