#deliciousword

[heybabei]

#kwentonglifegroup #deliciousdinner #deliciousWord https://www.instagram.com/p/BnWYzwjBUz2ISC5pOd3TszM8hAB-ijvZLoYaB40/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=13d5r1tx6doap

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Awake, O Sleeper

But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, 14 for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says,

“Awake, O sleeper,    and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”

15 Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise,

[sangbak-blog]

full love

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. Deuteronomy 6:5

And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.”  Luke 10:27

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MATTHEW

MATTHEW 1 [10.3.2011]

Matthew 1

The Genealogy of Jesus Christ

 1 The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

 2 Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, 3and Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Ram,[a] 4and Ram the father of Amminadab, and Amminadab the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon, 5and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse, 6and Jesse the father of David the king.

       And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah, 7and Solomon the father of Rehoboam, and Rehoboam the father of Abijah, and Abijah the father of Asaph,[b]8and Asaph the father of Jehoshaphat, and Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, and Joram the father of Uzziah, 9and Uzziah the father of Jotham, and Jotham the father of Ahaz, and Ahaz the father of Hezekiah, 10and Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, and Manasseh the father of Amos,[c] and Amos the father of Josiah, 11and Josiah the father of Jechoniah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon.

 12And after the deportation to Babylon: Jechoniah was the father of Shealtiel,[d] andShealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, 13and Zerubbabel the father of Abiud, and Abiud the father of Eliakim, and Eliakim the father of Azor, 14and Azor the father of Zadok, and Zadok the father of Achim, and Achim the father of Eliud, 15and Eliud the father of Eleazar, and Eleazar the father of Matthan, and Matthan the father of Jacob, 16and Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ.

 17So all the generations from Abraham to David were fourteen generations, and from David to the deportation to Babylon fourteen generations, and from the deportation to Babylon to the Christ fourteen generations.

The Birth of Jesus Christ

 18Now the birth of Jesus Christ[e] took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed[f] to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. 19And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. 20But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins." 22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:  23 "Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,    and they shall call his name Immanuel"

   (which means, God with us). 24When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, 25but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.

2 cool things here.

1-Is the the long list of names that seem so tedious to read is actually how the old testament relates to the new testament. For 42 generations people waited for the Messiah and prophesied about the coming of Jesus. And now he is finally here. And what's even better for us since this happened 2000 years ago. So now we can live in freedom found in Christ because he already came and was crucified for our sins. 

2-Jesus is called Immanuel in the OT yet he is called Jesus in the NT (COULD IT BE TWO DIFFERENT PEOPLE? maybe the Jews are right?! Immanuel didn't come yet!!. 

To explain that, Immanuel literally means God with us. However, the name Jesus means God is Salvation. In matthew the Angel tells Joseph to name the baby Jesus (literally to give him the name Jesus. However in the quoted verse from Isaiah "...and they shall call him name Immanuel" does not mean that his name will be Immanuel. It only means that people will call him Immanuel (basically everyone will know him as the God who is/was/continues to be with us.) So in essence Immanuel isn't a name, rather it is a description of the person Jesus. And Jesus is the actual name.

Example:

You shall call his name John

And they shall him name Awesome (so people will associate Awesome with john, but John is the name.)

  anyways this means that God is with us today then! and that GOD (Jesus) saved us already. 

QUESTIONS:

Can you feel God today? or do you feel as though your worshiping something invisible?

Do you have questions or comments about the passage? E-mail me back!!

MATTHEW 2 [10.4.2011]

Matthew 2 The Visit of the Wise Men  1Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men[a] from the east came to Jerusalem, 2saying, "Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose[b] and have come to worship him." 3When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; 4and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. 5They told him, "In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet:  6 "'And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,    are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler    who will shepherd my people Israel.'"  7Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared. 8And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, "Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him." 9After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. 10When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. 11And going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. 12And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way. The Flight to Egypt  13Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him." 14And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt 15and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, "Out of Egypt I called my son." Herod Kills the Children  16Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men. 17 Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah:  18 "A voice was heard in Ramah,    weeping and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children;    she refused to be comforted, because they are no more." The Return to Nazareth  19But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, 20saying, "Rise, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the child’s life are dead." 21And he rose and took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. 22But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there, and being warned in a dream he withdrew to the district of Galilee. 23And he went and lived in a city called Nazareth, that what was spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled: "He shall be called a Nazarene."

Isn't strange? Herod says to the wise men, "Hey bro, definitely find this kid I want to meet him and worship him with you guys."

But in his heart all he wanted to do was Kill him. Eventually he ended up killing all the male children in bethlehem. Sometimes we say we want to go to church, but do it just to make our selves feel not guilty. And sometimes we help other people out with homework or other business just so we don't seem like  a jerk. But we can always say the right thing and do the right thing, but if our heart isn't where our mouth is it's useless. God looks at our hearts not our actions.

On a side note throughout the first few chapters in Matthew it continually refers to the Old Testament, showing that Jesus is the savior to come. All the things that were said years before Jesus came are evidently becoming truth. So, to debate whether Jesus existed or not...is a silly debate.

Questions:

Would you stab or hug Jesus? (where's your heart at?)

Is the existence of Jesus debatable? 

MATTHEW 3 [10.5.2011]

Matthew 3

John the Baptist Prepares the Way

 1 In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, 2 "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." 3For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said,     "The voice of one crying in the wilderness: 'Prepare[a] the way of the Lord;    make his paths straight.'"

 4Now John wore a garment of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey.5Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region about the Jordan were going out to him, 6and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.

 7But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8Bear fruit in keeping with repentance. 9And do not presume to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father,' for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. 10Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

 11 "I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 12His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire."

The Baptism of Jesus

 13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. 14 John would have prevented him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?" 15But Jesus answered him, "Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness." Then he consented. 16And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him,[b] and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; 17and behold, a voice from heaven said, "This is my beloved Son,[c] with whom I am well pleased."

If Jesus is the son of God, why did he have to be baptized? There's three things to note here: 1) Jesus being baptized was not his admission into God's presence (basically he didn't need to be baptized in order to declare himself part of God's kingdom). Which is why Jesus replies, "it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness." Jesus didn't need to attain righteousness, rather he needed the fulfillment of that righteousness (God's plan) to be set as is. 2) So what does his baptism signify? Jesus is God but submits to God. He constantly calls himself the son but at the same time is an equivalent to God being there in the beginning. This is a hard concept but on earth Jesus was God incarnate, and thus he lived to glorify God. (this needs more explaining, but just shoot an e-mail back if your confused) 3)Declaration of God proclaiming that Jesus is his son came through the spirit which descended upon him. Official proclamation made it know that Jesus is God's son.

MATTHEW 4 [10.6.2011]

Matthew 4

The Temptation of Jesus

 1 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3And the tempter came and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread." 4But he answered, "It is written,     "'Man shall not live by bread alone,    but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'"

 5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple 6and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written,     "'He will command his angels concerning you,'

       and    "'On their hands they will bear you up,    lest you strike your foot against a stone.'"

 7Jesus said to him, "Again it is written, 'You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.'" 8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9And he said to him, "All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me." 10Then Jesus said to him, "Be gone,Satan! For it is written,     "'You shall worship the Lord your God    and him only shall you serve.'"

 11Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him.

Jesus Begins His Ministry

 12Now when he heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew into Galilee. 13And leaving Nazareth he went and lived in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, 14 so that what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:  15 "The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali,    the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles— 16 the people dwelling in darkness    have seen a great light, and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death,    on them a light has dawned."

 17 From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."

Jesus Calls the First Disciples

 18 While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. 19And he said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." 20Immediately they left their nets and followed him. 21And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them. 22Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.

Jesus Ministers to Great Crowds

 23 And he went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people. 24So his fame spread throughout all Syria, and they brought him all the sick, those afflicted with various diseases and pains, those oppressed by demons, epileptics, and paralytics, and he healed them. 25 And great crowds followed him from Galilee and the Decapolis, and from Jerusalem and Judea, and from beyond the Jordan. Satan vs. Jesus:

It's a one hit K.O. Jesus wins. Do you think Jesus was ever going to submit to Jesus? NEVER! Satan tries three times and Jesus simply says, "nah, rejected, my father (God) is for the win." And Jesus says only once, "BE GONE" and Satan has no choice but leave. That is the power of Jesus. That is the power of God. One hit K.O....you dig???

MATTHEW 5 [10.11.2011]

Matthew 5

The Sermon on the Mount

 1Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him.

The Beatitudes

 2And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying:

 3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

 4"Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

 5"Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

 6"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

 7"Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

 8"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

 9"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons[a] of God.

 10 "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

 11 "Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Salt and Light

 13"You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.

 14 "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

Christ Came to Fulfill the Law

 17 "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. 19 Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

Anger

 21 "You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.' 22But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother[b] will be liable to judgment; whoever insults[c] his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, 'You fool!' will be liable to the hell[d] of fire. 23 So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. 25 Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison. 26Truly, I say to you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.[e]

Lust

 27 "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall not commit adultery.' 28But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell.

Divorce

 31 "It was also said, 'Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.' 32 But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

Oaths

 33"Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.' 34But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, 35or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. 36And do not take an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. 37Let what you say be simply 'Yes' or 'No'; anything more than this comes from evil.[f]

Retaliation

 38 "You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' 39But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. 40And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic,[g] let him have your cloak as well. 41And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. 42 Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you.

Love Your Enemies

 43 "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' 44But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47And if you greet only your brothers,[h] what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48 You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Jesus says, you must fulfill the law and be more righteous than sadducess or pharsises (people who followed the law hard core, meaning no "sin" what so ever). So what are the 10 things we have to do? Nothing. There is absolutely nothing we can do except one thing, check our hearts. Jesus says that we must reconcile with our brother first, that we must not swear on our heads, and that if we lust in our hearts thats sin in itself. It's not about what we do, how often we can make it too church, how hard we study, or how hard we party. It's all about why we do it. Is our heart with God? or Is our heart somewhere else. Because God is a reality, and if your heart ain't with him...well life just might be a little too confusing/hard. Be real with yourself and don't be afraid to share. For real. I'm always praying for you guys :D.

MATTHEW 6 [10.12.2011]

Matthew 6

Giving to the Needy

 1"Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.

 2 "Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 3But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

The Lord’s Prayer

 5"And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 6But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

 7"And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. 8Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. 9 Pray then like this:     "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.[a] 10 Your kingdom come, your will be done,[b]     on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread,[c] 12and forgive us our debts,    as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13And lead us not into temptation,    but deliver us from evil.[d]

 14 For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, 15 but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Fasting

 16"And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 17But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, 18that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

Lay Up Treasures in Heaven

 19 "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust[e] destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

 22 "The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, 23 but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!

 24 "No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.[f]

Do Not Be Anxious

 25 "Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?[g] 28And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

 34 "Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

Many times we come to a dilemma where we don't know what we should be doing? Is it worth going to small group? Is it worth going to church? Should I be nice, give money? go on missions? However, it's not to say that when you start serving God you stop being faithful. Since Matthew 5, Jesus has been saying to do this, to do that, to give to the needy, not be lustful. But looking to yesterday - it's where your hearts at when you do it. Why do you do the things you do? 

Reread vs. 25-34, God is sovereign over everything. Can you imagine that this God wants to have a relationship with you??

He loves you. Thats truth. can ya dig it?

MATTHEW 7 [10.13.2011]

Matthew 7

Judging Others

 1 "Judge not, that you be not judged. 2 For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. 3Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 4Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when there is the log in your own eye? 5You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.

 6 "Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you.

Ask, and It Will Be Given

 7 "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. 9Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? 10Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? 11If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!

The Golden Rule

 12"So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.

 13 "Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy[a] that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. 14For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.

A Tree and Its Fruit

 15 "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. 18A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.

I Never Knew You

 21 "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?' 23 And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.'

Build Your House on the Rock

 24 "Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. 26And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it."

The Authority of Jesus

 28And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, 29 for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes

MATTHEW 8 [10.18.2011]

Matthew 8

Jesus Heals a Man With Leprosy

 1 When Jesus came down from the mountainside, large crowds followed him. 2 A man with leprosy[a] came and knelt before him and said, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.”

 3 Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” Immediately he was cleansed of his leprosy. 4 Then Jesus said to him, “See that you don’t tell anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”

The Faith of the Centurion

 5 When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help. 6 “Lord,” he said, “my servant lies at home paralyzed, suffering terribly.”

 7 Jesus said to him, “Shall I come and heal him?”

 8 The centurion replied, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. 9 For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

 10 When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, “Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith. 11 I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. 12 But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

 13 Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go! Let it be done just as you believed it would.” And his servant was healed at that moment.

Jesus Heals Many

 14 When Jesus came into Peter’s house, he saw Peter’s mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever. 15 He touched her hand and the fever left her, and she got up and began to wait on him.

 16 When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to him, and he drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick. 17 This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah:

   “He took up our infirmities     and bore our diseases.”[b]

The Cost of Following Jesus

 18 When Jesus saw the crowd around him, he gave orders to cross to the other side of the lake. 19 Then a teacher of the law came to him and said, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.”

 20 Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”

 21 Another disciple said to him, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”

 22 But Jesus told him, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.”

Jesus Calms the Storm

 23 Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. 24 Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. 25 The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!”

 26 He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.

 27 The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!”

Jesus Restores Two Demon-Possessed Men

 28 When he arrived at the other side in the region of the Gadarenes,[c] two demon-possessed men coming from the tombs met him. They were so violent that no one could pass that way. 29 “What do you want with us, Son of God?” they shouted. “Have you come here to torture us before the appointed time?”

 30 Some distance from them a large herd of pigs was feeding. 31 The demons begged Jesus, “If you drive us out, send us into the herd of pigs.”

 32 He said to them, “Go!” So they came out and went into the pigs, and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and died in the water. 33 Those tending the pigs ran off, went into the town and reported all this, including what had happened to the demon-possessed men. 34 Then the whole town went out to meet Jesus. And when they saw him, they pleaded with him to leave their region.

Jesus performs many miracles within this single chapter, and there's a few things to point out. 1. Jesus is willing as long as we ask, in faith. 2. We need to be bold enough, and ask Jesus in true faith, not in little faith but real faith. 3. This world really has nothing on Jesus, he calms the seas and storms, and heals the sick. 4. Demons need Jesus's permission. 5. Do we see these miracles and worship him? fear him (and plead him to leave)? or do we bulk up in faith knowing that only Jesus can do these things?

MATTHEW 9 

MATTHEW 10 [10.20.2011]

Matthew 10

The Twelve Apostles

 1 And he called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every affliction. 2 The names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; 3Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus;[

a

]4Simon the Cananaean, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.

Jesus Sends Out the Twelve Apostles

 5 These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them, "Go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of the Samaritans, 6 but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7And proclaim as you go, saying, 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand.' 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers,[

b

] cast out demons. You received without paying; give without pay. 9 Acquire no gold nor silver nor copper for your belts, 10no bag for your journey, nor two tunics[

c

] nor sandals nor a staff, for the laborer deserves his food. 11And whatever town or village you enter, find out who is worthy in it and stay there until you depart. 12As you enter the house, greet it. 13And if the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it, but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. 14And if anyone will not receive you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet when you leave that house or town. 15Truly, I say to you, it will be more bearable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah than for that town.

Persecution Will Come

 16 "Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. 17Beware of men, for they will deliver you over to courts and flog you in their synagogues, 18 and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them and the Gentiles. 19When they deliver you over, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour. 20 For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. 21 Brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death, 22 and you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. 23When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next, for truly, I say to you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.

 24 "A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant[d] above his master. 25It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign[e] those of his household.

Have No Fear

 26"So have no fear of them, for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known.27What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops.28And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.[

f

] 29Are not two sparrows sold for a penny?[

g

] And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. 30But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. 31Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. 32 So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, 33but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.

Not Peace, but a Sword

 34 "Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.35 For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. 36 And a person’s enemies will be those of his own household. 37 Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

Rewards

 40 "Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me. 41 The one who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and the one who receives a righteous person because he is a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward. 42And whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward."

v.16-17: This world won't let you have time to pray or read the bible. It won't even acknowledge christianity for what it really is. Christianity isn't a religion, or a culture, it is something innate...it's a relationship. If you just go about not seeing the rewards in heaven - being able to see God, knowing that God knew you all along. It's going to be a hard fight. We fight this fight together, but if you don't fight for yourself...well it's going to be a long road ahead. Fight for your time with God.  Do you accept the Challenge?

MATTHEW 11 [10.21.2011]

Matthew 11

Messengers from John the Baptist

 1When Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and preach in their cities.

 2 Now when John heard in prison about the deeds of the Christ, he sent word by his disciples 3and said to him, "Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?" 4And Jesus answered them, "Go and tell John what you hear and see: 5 the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers[a] are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them. 6And blessed is the one who is not offended by me."

 7As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds concerning John: "What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? 8What then did you go out to see? A man[b] dressed in soft clothing? Behold, those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses. 9What then did you go out to see? A prophet?[c] Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. 10This is he of whom it is written,     "'Behold, I send my messenger before your face,    who will prepare your way before you.'

 11Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. 12 From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence,[d] and the violent take it by force. 13 For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John, 14and if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah who is to come. 15 He who has ears to hear,[e] let him hear.

 16"But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their playmates,  17"'We played the flute for you, and you did not dance;    we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.'

 18For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, 'He has a demon.' 19The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!' Yet wisdom is justified by her deeds."[f]

Woe to Unrepentant Cities

 20 Then he began to denounce the cities where most of his mighty works had been done, because they did not repent. 21 "Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 22 But I tell you, it will be more bearable on the day of judgment for Tyre and Sidon than for you. 23And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? You will be brought down to Hades. For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. 24 But I tell you that it will be more tolerable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom than for you."

Come to Me, and I Will Give You Rest

 25 At that time Jesus declared, "I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; 26yes, Father, for such was your gracious will.[g] 27 All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. 28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

Reread below:

12

 From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence,

[

d

]

 and the violent take it by force. 

13

 For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John, 

14

and if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah who is to come. 

15

 He who has ears to hear,

[

e

]

 let him hear.

that's basically saying the kingdom of God is suffering violence, and anyone who is strong enough to go against God, or anyone who is violent enough can get into the kingdom of God. Right? Basically like  greek mythology where the half-god hercules kills the other Gods above him. That makes sense...does it? Can anyone really take out God, and get into heaven by force? Definitely not, so then what is this verse saying.

  It took me some time to figure it out, but it's the context that explains what violence means. Violence here isn't physical violence. What we're talking about is the heart. People vehemently pursue/argue about God. God is constantly debated within the heart, and that is the violence (passion) that heaven is suffering. So what does it mean to be violent enough to take it by force? It's talking about your heart, and how earnestly you want it. How badly do you want to know God? How badly do you want to want God? Because "he who has ears to hear, let him hear." God is there all you have to do is seek him out. Fight for your time with God.   

MATTHEW 12 [10.3.2011]

MATTHEW 13 [10.24-26.2011]

Matthew 13 continued...

The Parable of the Weeds 24He put another parable before them, saying, "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, 25but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds[c] among the wheat and went away. 26So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also.27And the servants[d] of the master of the house came and said to him, 'Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?' 28He said to them, 'An enemy has done this.' So the servants said to him, 'Then do you want us to go and gather them?' 29But he said, 'No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. 30Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.'"

The Mustard Seed and the Leaven

 31He put another parable before them, saying, "The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. 32It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches."

 33He told them another parable. "The kingdom of heaven is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, till it was all leavened."

Prophecy and Parables

 34 All these things Jesus said to the crowds in parables; indeed, he said nothing to them without a parable.35This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet:[e]     "I will open my mouth in parables;     I will utter what has been hidden since the foundation of the world."

The Parable of the Weeds Explained

 36Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples came to him, saying, "Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field." 37He answered, "The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man.38The field is the world, and the good seed is the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, 39and the enemy who sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the close of the age, and the reapers are angels. 40Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the close of the age. 41 The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers,42 and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43Thenthe righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.

I think...the idea of hell is disturbing...but it is a reality. Many times people say the God in the OT (old testament) was mean and killed people while the God in the NT (new testament) spoke of love and redemption. However, it's in the NT where Jesus talks about hell the most, and it's in the NT where revelation unfolds.  Just as heaven is a reality, so is hell. So just as God is a reality so are demons. Hard to make sense of at times. And sometimes the demons become more real than God...which is why we fear, lose hope, and lose a grip on who we are as children of God. But God is just and merciful and he came to redeem before he comes to destroy. Odd...that God will eventually destroy. Doesn't seem fair sometimes...but then again if we have a chance now? what are we actually doing?

What is your reality??

The Parable of the Hidden Treasure

 44"The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.

The Parable of the Pearl of Great Value

 45"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, 46who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.

The Parable of the Net

 47"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and gathered fish of every kind. 48When it was full, men drew it ashore and sat down and sorted the good into containers but threw away the bad. 49So it will be at the close of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous 50 and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

  This one is more open for discussion, how do you feel about God and his kingdom? Is 80 years on earth all you need? Or do you have a void in your heart?

New and Old Treasures

 51 "Have you understood all these things?" They said to him, "Yes." 52And he said to them,"Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house, who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old."

Jesus Rejected at Nazareth

 53And when Jesus had finished these parables, he went away from there, 54 and coming tohis hometown he taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished, and said, "Where did this man get this wisdom and these mighty works? 55 Is not this the carpenter’s son? Is not his mother called Mary? And are not his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? 56And are not all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?" 57And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and in his own household." 58And he did not do many mighty works there, because of their unbelief.   So many people knew Jesus physically. They knew him as a person, or someone who was related to mary and james and joseph and simon and judas. Yet, those closest to him didn't truly know him. Jesus isn't just some guy who died and became an answer. And our unbelief might be the root as to why we have yet to know if Jesus is real or not.   Jesus is a reality...and that's my hope for all of ya :]

MATTHEW 14 [10.28-31.2011]

Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand

 13Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat to a desolate place by himself. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns. 14When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick. 15Now when it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, "This is a desolate place, and the day is now over; send the crowds away to go into the villages and buy food for themselves." 16But Jesus said, "They need not go away; you give them something to eat."17They said to him, "We have only five loaves here and two fish." 18And he said, "Bring them here to me."19Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass, and taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing. Then he broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. 20And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up twelve baskets full of the broken pieces left over. 21And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children.

Jesus Walks on the Water

 22 Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. 23And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. 

I'm going to be blunt and honest in this one... After Jesus does this great feat, he goes by himself and prays by himself. His rest is found in God and only through God can he really continue on in his ministry. So many times we rely on more sleep, more time with friends, time to just be myself, but rarely do we think of turning to God for rest. We make our physical desires and passions greater than things that last for eternity.  These momentary pleasures that will be at best great memories, or short burst of energy take away from the eternal life at stake and God's unlimited source of energy. Maybe that's why we can somehow study hard and get our work done so we can go to a party or hang out with friends. But we'll easily cut church, small group, and bible study so that we can study. What is your focus. And how real is God?? I'm talking about the God of the universe. The God that loves you. And the God that promises things to you. Where are your desires?

Jesus Heals the Sick in Gennesaret

 34 And when they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret. 35And when the men of that place recognized him, they sent around to all that region and brought to him all who were sick 36and implored him that they might only touch the fringe of his garment. And as many as touched it were made well. So here's the direct juxtaposition of the faith that Jesus looks for. Once people recognized him, they did not doubt him at all. Not only did they see Jesus the rock, they immediately sent people all around the region to be healed by him. God wants to heal us, and we should be so excited that we tell all our friends about him. Yet so many times we are ashamed, or don't want to be seen as a Jesus freak. But ultimately his promise is true, "as many as touched it were made well." A simple touch and the faith in him is all it takes. Pure hearts yall. Keep at it.

MATTHEW 15 [11.2-4.2011]

The Faith of a Canaanite Woman

 21 And Jesus went away from there and withdrew to the district of Tyre and Sidon. 22And behold, a Canaanite woman from that region came out and was crying, "Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely oppressed by a demon." 23But he did not answer her a word. And his disciples came and begged him, saying, "Send her away, for she is crying out after us." 24He answered, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." 25But she came and knelt before him, saying, "Lord, help me." 26And he answered, "It is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs." 27She said, "Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table." 28Then Jesus answered her, "O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire." And her daughter was healed instantly.[e]

    Woah,woah, look at Jesus calling a girl a dog?? Telling her that she's unworthy?? But then again what really makes us worthy?? Remember that God is the one that called us unrighteous because of our sin, and it is Jesus that propitiated the wrath of God, so that we can be called righteous. So taking that into light, God is the one that showed his love for us by sending his own son to take our sins. So what do we really deserve?? what are we entitled too?? nothing...everything can only be grace. (this is taking into light our first two small groups)

  Sometimes we pray to God and there is no word. Jesus says no word. And it's so quiet, then we have the world tell us, quit praying. Stop your useless jibjab. And even then, God responds with an answer we never thought he would say. Something that humbles us even more. But when all of this happens do we doubt God at round 1? Don't even pray. Or maybe at round 2, when the world says hush up, we decide we should stop praying and do it our way. Or maybe we go as far as round 3, but when God says something that doesn't fit our answer, our desire we get angry and leave, or even more depressed and lose hope. But what did the woman do?? She acknowledged the situation, she knew that she didn't deserve or entitle anything and that it would only be a gift. So she continually humbled herself and continually pursued God. In faith, God answered.

  Where is your faith??

Jesus Heals Many

 29 Jesus went on from there and walked beside the Sea of Galilee. And he went up on the mountain and sat down there. 30And great crowds came to him, bringing with them the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute, and many others, and they put them at his feet, and he healed them, 31 so that the crowd wondered, when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled healthy, the lame walking, and the blind seeing. And they glorified the God of Israel.

Strange, there's no twitter or facebook status update, but somehow people find their way to Jesus no matter where he is. They come to him with all these physical issues and when they are healed they do one thing. They glorified the God of Israel. It doesn't say that they glorified Jesus, which is quite possible since he is the son of God. But Jesus is setting an example. As the son of God, but being simultaneously God, he is bringing glory to himself and to his father. It's not about a momentary healing and then feeling great for a short time period in life. But it's about living this life for God and to really glorifying him. Finding sustenance in God. 

Jesus Feeds the Four Thousand

 32 Then Jesus called his disciples to him and said, "I have compassion on the crowd because they have been with me now three days and have nothing to eat. And I am unwilling to send them away hungry, lest they faint on the way." 33And the disciples said to him, "Where are we to get enough bread in such a desolate place to feed so great a crowd?" 34And Jesus said to them, "How many loaves do you have?" They said,"Seven, and a few small fish." 35And directing the crowd to sit down on the ground, 36he took the seven loaves and the fish, and having given thanks he broke them and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. 37And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up seven baskets full of the broken pieces left over. 38Those who ate were four thousand men, besides women and children. 39And after sending away the crowds, he got into the boat and went to the region of Magadan. Let's take a look at the disciples perspective. They've been with Jesus who has done so much. Literally as we see just prior he healed everyone and continued to show his authority over the physical the world spiritually. Yet, even now the disciples ask Jesus, "where are we to get enough??" We can be so close to Jesus and even see so much or know so much, but still doubt. Yet even then Jesus in his compassion feeds us, and meets us where we are lacking. 

MATTHEW 16 [11.5-11.2011]

Matthew 16

The Pharisees and Sadducees Demand Signs

 1 And the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and to test him they asked him to show them a sign from heaven.2He answered them,[a] "When it is evening, you say, 'It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.' 3And in the morning, 'It will be stormy today, for the sky is red and threatening.' You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times. 4 An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah." So he left them and departed.

Isn't it funny, that Jesus tells the pharisees and sadducees straight up that they keep looking from the wrong perspective but they can't see Jesus for who he is? It's about our perspective and what we look towards Jesus for. People who demand him to show signs and provide miracles? Or people, who as children, ask knowing that he will provide good gifts to his children? btw. the sign of jonah refers to... Matthew 12:38-42

The Sign of Jonah

 38Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered him, saying, "Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you."39But he answered them, "An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. 40For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. 41 The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here. 42 The queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something greater than Solomon is here. Even though Jesus explained once, they still don't get it...sigh~ We trust in God's timing.

Peter Confesses Jesus as the Christ

 13 Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?" 14And they said, "Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets." 15He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" 16Simon Peter replied, "You arethe Christ, the Son of the living God." 17And Jesus answered him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! Forflesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. 18And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock[

b

] I will build my church, and the gates of hell[

c

] shall not prevail against it. 19I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed[

d

] in heaven." 20 Then he strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ. Often times we struggle with out faith, and doubt if faith can ever be 100% "correct". We think that faith is blind and that it holds no justification. But Peter knew that Jesus was the son of God and he knew that he was right in his knowledge. Why? Because of this... Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! Forflesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. The father is the one who reveals the truth to us. If you ever find yourself struggling or doubting or not really experiencing God. Ask God to reveal the truth. Make him the subject of the prayer. And make his power be what you are dependent on.

Jesus Foretells His Death and Resurrection

 21 From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. 22And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, "Far be it from you, Lord![

e

] This shall never happen to you."23But he turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance[

f

] to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man." So many times I fight with myself and deny the possibility of living for God. I always feel like I have to do so much and keep doing things in order to cling on to God. And so often I forget that God is the one that is holding onto me. Just Like Peter, I'd rather not have this Jesus that I can't understand. I want a Jesus who lives and doesn't die and can be logically understood. Yet, it's my mind set that is at fault.  What kind of questions do you ask God? What kind of prayers do you pray?

The Leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees

 5When the disciples reached the other side, they had forgotten to bring any bread. 6Jesus said to them,"Watch and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees." 7And they began discussing it among themselves, saying, "We brought no bread." 8But Jesus, aware of this, said, "O you of little faith, why are you discussing among yourselves the fact that you have no bread? 9 Do you not yet perceive? Do you not remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many baskets you gathered? 10Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many baskets you gathered? 11How is it that you fail to understand that I did not speak about bread? Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees." 12 Then they understood that he did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees. You see, leaven is what makes the bread rise. Jesus is not actually talking about real bread and leaven, but he's talking about the kingdom of God and what we are using to establish that. If we use the leaven of Pharisees and Sadducees we try to make our own bread fixed around actions. But if Jesus is our leaven and the provider for our faith. He will make the bread rise and feed over thousands. Jesus is that Kind of God.

Take Up Your Cross and Follow Jesus

 24Then Jesus told his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25For whoever would save his life[

g

] will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. 26For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?27 For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done. 28Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom."   The reality of Christ vs. the reality of this world. How much more do you value your soul over wordly things? Because Christ died for your soul. The soul can't be bought by this world, but we so easily seem to sell it. What are we living for? 

MATTHEW 17 [11.12-13.2011]

Matthew 17

The Transfiguration

 1 And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. 2And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, andhis clothes became white as light. 3And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. 4And Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah." 5He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, "This is my beloved Son,[a] with whom I am well pleased; listen to him." 6When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were terrified. 7But Jesus came and touched them, saying, "Rise, and have no fear." 8And when they lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only.

 9 And as they were coming down the mountain, Jesus commanded them, "Tell no one the vision, until the Son of Man is raised from the dead." 10And the disciples asked him, "Then why do the scribes saythat first Elijah must come?" 11He answered, "Elijah does come, andhe will restore all things. 12But I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they pleased.So also the Son of Man will certainly suffer at their hands." 13 Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them of John the Baptist.

When we find ourselves on top of the world we always want to remain there. Think of how Peter felt when he saw Jesus transfigured, Moses and Elijah. He instantly said, Let's make tents here, suggesting that they stay there for awhile. But no, God simple says this is my son whom I am pleased, listen to him and they move on. So many times we want to find peace, or maybe find that time with God when we felt like we were so close. But the truth is...God is always close. We simply have to listen to his son and follow him once again. Let's not try to find the mountain top again or another spiritual high, but know how constant and real God is.

Jesus Heals a Boy with a Demon

 14 And when they came to the crowd, a man came up to him and, kneeling before him, 15said, "Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and he suffers terribly. For often he falls into the fire, and often into the water. 16And I brought him to your disciples, and they could not heal him." 17And Jesus answered, "O faithless and twisted generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him here to me." 18And Jesus rebuked the demon,[b] and it[c] came out of him, and the boy was healed instantly.[d] 19Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, "Why could we not cast it out?" 20He said to them, "Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed,you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you."[e]

We have little faith, not no faith, but our faith can't even match that of a grain of mustard seed. If nothing will be impossible in Jesus, why do we drift away so easily. What are we fighting for?

The Temple Tax

 24 When they came to Capernaum, the collectors of the two-drachma tax went up to Peter and said, "Does your teacher not pay the tax?" 25He said, "Yes." And when he came into the house, Jesus spoke to him first, saying, "What do you think, Simon? From whom do kings of the earth take toll or tax? From their sons or from others?" 26And when he said, "From others," Jesus said to him, "Then the sons are free. 27However, not to give offense to them, go to the sea and cast a hook and take the first fish that comes up, and when you open its mouth you will find a shekel.[g] Take that and give it to them for me and for yourself."

Isn't it funny how we try so hard to get to a position or a rank within this world so that we can get credit from others? In the end we're just another person, who at best can be known for some historic fact. But to them we're just another historical figure (at best). But think about the identity that we really have. We're called by God as children. To see him as a father. And instead of seeking his approval we try to get the approval of the world. But Jesus blatantly says it, this world is filled with others, but we ourselves are sons! And if we're sons, God will provide for us during this time in the world. Think about it. A fish came out of nowhere and had a tax due, just  because God can. This is our God!!!

MATTHEW 18 [11.16-23.2011]

Temptations to Sin

 7"Woe to the world for temptations to sin![b] For it is necessary that temptations come, but woe to the one by whom the temptation comes! 8 And if your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life crippled or lame than with two hands or two feet to be thrown into the eternal fire. 9 And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into the hell[c] of fire.

When I say, "fight for your time with God." or "keep fighting the good fight of faith." I seriously mean it. Jesus blatantly says that it is good for temptations to come. Why? Because it makes us stronger, and humbles us knowing that we have to always turn to God. But if we sin. We lose. That's basically it. Think of it as any sports game you want. Anytime you sin, that's one point to satan. You have to fight back harder, and really fight for your faith. I'm praying for you guys all the time. Please please please...don't lose hope now.

If Your Brother Sins Against You

 15 "If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. 16But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be establishedby the evidence of two or three witnesses. 17If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. 18Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed[

f

] in heaven.19Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. 20For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them."    It's important to realize that although Jesus is speaking, he is speaking to peter. So this statement isn't an applicable to all statement, rather a statement set for spiritual authority. Yet it brings light into the reality of God. The emphasis is that whatever we do here on earth will be bound in heaven and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. To spiritual authorities this will of God is given to them, which is why they can really prophecy and speak the word of God. That's how real God can be physically in this world.

The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant

 21Then Peter came up and said to him, "Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?" 22Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven.[

g

]

 23"Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants.[h] 24When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents.[i] 25 And since he could not pay, his master ordered himto be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. 26So the servant[j] fell on his knees, imploring him, 'Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.' 27And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him andforgave him the debt. 28But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii,[k] and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, 'Pay what you owe.' 29So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, 'Have patience with me, and I will pay you.' 30He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt. 31When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place. 32Then his master summoned him and said to him, 'You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. 33 And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?' 34 And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers,[l] until he should pay all his debt. 35 So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart."

People often ask, how do I love? Or how can I be "nice" to people. And I think it's obvious, but doing things won't ever be perceived as nice or seen as real love, unless your hearts into it. So how can we forgive our brothers and peers truly? and really love them? It goes back to God and his relationship with you. I can't stop emphasizing this, but this God is real and he wants a relationship with you. And even though we weren't perfect his son died on the cross, allowing us to have a relationship. Basically we received grace (getting something we don't deserve). And if God gave us the opportunity to be children...to be able to pray to the God of the universe...to really know him if we put our heart into it, why do we see temporal struggles as being so large. So how do we love? or how do we share this mercy? Only by knowing what God did for us. The condition of the heart guys....

MATTHEW 19 [11.25-28.2011]

Teaching About Divorce

 1Now when Jesus had finished these sayings, he went away from Galilee and entered the region of Judea beyond the Jordan. 2And large crowds followed him, and he healed them there.

 3And Pharisees came up to him and tested him by asking, "Is it lawful to divorce one’s wife for any cause?" 4He answered, "Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, 5and said, 'Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'? 6So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate." 7They said to him, "Why then did Moses command one to give a certificate of divorce and to send her away?" 8He said to them, "Because of your hardness of heart Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. 9 And I say to you: whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery."[a]

 10The disciples said to him, "If such is the case of a man with his wife, it is better not to marry." 11But he said to them, "Not everyone can receive this saying, but only those towhom it is given. 12For there are eunuchs who have been so from birth, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Let the one who is able to receive this receive it."

 13 Then children were brought to him that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked the people, 14but Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven." 15And he laid his hands on them and went away.

Marriage was intended to be God ordained. That it is God who allows us to really see that perfect girl we're all looking for. And that marriage was intended for a man and woman. But it is God who gives that gift and it is God who is sovereign. Ever think that our love life is in God's hands?

The Rich Young Man

 16 And behold, a man came up to him, saying, "Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?" 17And he said to him, "Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments." 18He said to him, "Which ones?" And Jesus said,"You shall not murder, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, 19Honor your father and mother, and, You shall love your neighbor as yourself." 20The young man said to him, "All these I have kept. What do I still lack?" 21Jesus said to him, "If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me." 22 When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

 23And Jesus said to his disciples, "Truly, I say to you, only with difficulty will a rich person enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God." 25When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished, saying, "Who then can be saved?" 26But Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."27Then Peter said in reply, "See, we have left everything and followed you. What then will we have?" 28Jesus said to them, "Truly, I say to you, in the new world,[b] when the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold[c]and will inherit eternal life. 30But many who are first will be last, and the last first.

Do we see Jesus as only a teacher? Or as our true lord and savior? Because if we continue to hold to physical things and only see this world for something we stay in for 80 years, we won't have much left in life to hold on to except for things that will only last 80 years. You see, the rich young man couldn't let go of physical things since he only saw Jesus as a physical person who was, at best, a teacher. The rich young man wanted to assure his salvation and wanted to go to heaven. But our Goal isn't to be immortal. Our goal is to know God and have a relationship with him. Yet it is God who makes all things possible. You think life is hard? Bring it to God. You think, you can't have a deeper relationship with God? Bring it to God. If you want it, fight for it. Because God will make is possible. It's about the relationship with God.

Teaching About Divorce

 1Now when Jesus had finished these sayings, he went away from Galilee and entered the region of Judea beyond the Jordan. 2And large crowds followed him, and he healed them there.

 3And Pharisees came up to him and tested him by asking, "Is it lawful to divorce one’s wife for any cause?" 4He answered, "Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, 5and said, 'Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'? 6So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate." 7They said to him, "Why then did Moses command one to give a certificate of divorce and to send her away?" 8He said to them, "Because of your hardness of heart Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. 9 And I say to you: whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery."[a]

 10The disciples said to him, "If such is the case of a man with his wife, it is better not to marry." 11But he said to them, "Not everyone can receive this saying, but only those towhom it is given. 12For there are eunuchs who have been so from birth, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Let the one who is able to receive this receive it."

 13 Then children were brought to him that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked the people, 14but Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven." 15And he laid his hands on them and went away.

Marriage was intended to be God ordained. That it is God who allows us to really see that perfect girl we're all looking for. And that marriage was intended for a man and woman. But it is God who gives that gift and it is God who is sovereign. Ever think that our love life is in God's hands?

The Rich Young Man

 16 And behold, a man came up to him, saying, "Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?" 17And he said to him, "Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments." 18He said to him, "Which ones?" And Jesus said,"You shall not murder, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, 19Honor your father and mother, and, You shall love your neighbor as yourself." 20The young man said to him, "All these I have kept. What do I still lack?" 21Jesus said to him, "If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me." 22 When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

 23And Jesus said to his disciples, "Truly, I say to you, only with difficulty will a rich person enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God." 25When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished, saying, "Who then can be saved?" 26But Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."27Then Peter said in reply, "See, we have left everything and followed you. What then will we have?" 28Jesus said to them, "Truly, I say to you, in the new world,[b] when the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold[c]and will inherit eternal life. 30But many who are first will be last, and the last first.

Do we see Jesus as only a teacher? Or as our true lord and savior? Because if we continue to hold to physical things and only see this world for something we stay in for 80 years, we won't have much left in life to hold on to except for things that will only last 80 years. You see, the rich young man couldn't let go of physical things since he only saw Jesus as a physical person who was, at best, a teacher. The rich young man wanted to assure his salvation and wanted to go to heaven. But our Goal isn't to be immortal. Our goal is to know God and have a relationship with him. Yet it is God who makes all things possible. You think life is hard? Bring it to God. You think, you can't have a deeper relationship with God? Bring it to God. If you want it, fight for it. Because God will make is possible. It's about the relationship with God.

MATTHEW 20 [11.29 -12.5.2011]

Matthew 20

Laborers in the Vineyard

 1"For the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. 2After agreeing with the laborers for a denarius[

a

] a day, he sent them into his vineyard. 3And going out about the third hour he saw others standing idle in the marketplace, 4and to them he said, 'You go into the vineyard too, and whatever is right I will give you.' 5So they went. Going out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour, he did the same. 6And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing. And he said to them, 'Why do you stand here idle all day?'7They said to him, 'Because no one has hired us.' He said to them, 'You go into the vineyard too.' 8And when evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, 'Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last, up to the first.' 9And when those hired about the eleventh hour came, each of them received a denarius. 10Now when those hired first came, they thought they would receive more, but each of them also received a denarius. 11And on receiving it they grumbled at the master of the house,12saying, 'These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.' 13But he replied to one of them, 'Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? 14Take what belongs to you and go. I choose to give to this last worker as I give to you. 15 Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?'[

b

] 16So the last will be first, and the first last."   Remember how we talked about propitiation. That propitiating meant doing something in order to get God's favor. However, Jesus Christ was the one who propitiated on our behalf. So basically, Jesus allowed us to have the favor of God. Which means since Jesus Christ (since he is also God (the Holy Trinity)) got the favor of God for us, God basically did what we could never do. This is shown in this parable. There is nothing we can do to get God's favor. Even if we work 12 hours or 1 hour in the end God is the one who is generous and he is the one that pays out of his heart. So where does that leave us? God calls in his time, and we must faithful obey and follow and fight to pursue him. If the workers never went to the masters house they would have never been paid. Yet, it is always the master who went out and called each laborer. 

Jesus Foretells His Death a Third Time

 17

 And as Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside, and on the way he said to them, 

18

"See, we are going up to Jerusalem. And the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death 

19

and deliver him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified, and he will be raised on the third day."

A Mother’s Request

 20

 Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came up to him with her sons, and kneeling before him she asked him for something. 

21

And he said to her, "What do you want?" She said to him, "Say that these two sons of mine are to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom." 

22

Jesus answered, "You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am to drink?" They said to him, "We are able." 

23

He said to them, "You will drink my cup, but to sit at my right hand and at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father." 

24

And when the ten heard it, they were indignant at the two brothers. 

25

But Jesus called them to him and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. 

26

 It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant,

[c]

 27

and whoever would be first among you must be your slave,

[d]

 28

even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

Here are some things that would seem illogical:

1-Jesus is telling about this death a third time

2-The mother asks Jesus to allow her sons to be by Jesus's side (basically saying let them be closer in heaven)

3-Jesus tells about James and John's life and death (they will drink from the same cup)

4-The greatest servant is the greatest leader

5-Jesus came to die (he lived only to die)

So many times the world will tell us otherwise, but there's something about wanting to be closer to God. Isn't it odd to ask Jesus to have a better relationship with him? But you can always ask for that. And honestly, there is something greater in heaven. There are rewards and placements in heaven. Not saying that anyone is going to be bitter or jealous of someone else, but it will be evident that some will be closer to Jesus. How close do you want to be God?

Do you want to want God?? Pursue it with your whole heart.

Jesus Heals Two Blind Men

 29 And as they went out of Jericho, a great crowd followed him. 30And behold, there were two blind men sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was passing by, they cried out, "Lord,[

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] have mercy on us,Son of David!" 31The crowd rebuked them, telling them to be silent, but they cried out all the more, "Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!" 32And stopping, Jesus called them and said, "What do you want me to do for you?"33They said to him, "Lord, let our eyes be opened." 34And Jesus in pity touched their eyes, and immediately they recovered their sight and followed him.   Do we have the audacity to cry out more when people tell us to quit it? Or even the boldness to reply to Jesus the son of God, Let out Eyes be opened? Yet this is strange this is one of those times when Jesus doesn't talk about their faith, rather he took pity. This is the compassion of Christ. And even though he did what they asked, (physically healing them of their sights) he knew that he would heal their true innate problem by fixing their hearts. When they recovered their sight they followed him. This is the love of Christ we often forget. He heals knowing we are weak. And in our weakness he does far greater things. Let's call out to him. And know that he can do more than just physical healing :]

MATTHEW 21 [12.6-13.2011]

Matthew 21

The Triumphal Entry

 1 Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, 2saying to them, "Go into the village in front of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me. 3If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, 'The Lord needs them,' and he will send them at once." 4This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet, saying,  5 "Say to the daughter of Zion,'Behold, your king is coming to you,     humble, and mounted on a donkey,    and[a] on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.'"

 6The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them. 7They brought the donkey and the colt and put on them their cloaks, and he sat on them. 8Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, "Hosanna to the Son of David!Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!"10And when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up, saying, "Who is this?" 11And the crowds said, "This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee."

Many people explain that the people who were cheering saying Hosanna (meaning God save us, or the Lord saves) were cheering because they thought Jesus was the next king. Like David he would remove the oppression from the Romans and make the Israelites a physical strong nation again. No one ever expected him to die. No one ever expected him to save us spiritually. That's probably way they call him a prophet. In their eyes he was nothing but a man. A Good man. Possibly a prophet. But the thought of being the Son of God never occured to them. Honestly, who is Jesus to you? If he ain't the son of God, it's time to begin to seek the truth. Because, Jesus is the son of God.

Jesus Cleanses the Temple

 12 And Jesus entered the temple[b] and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. 13He said to them, "It is written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer,' but you make it a den of robbers."

 14 And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he healed them. 15 But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying out in the temple, "Hosanna to the Son of David!" they were indignant, 16and they said to him, "Do you hear what these are saying?" And Jesus said to them, "Yes; have you never read,     "'Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babies    you have prepared praise'?"

 17And leaving them, he went out of the city to Bethany and lodged there.

This is pretty strange , the chief priests and scribes saw the "wonderful" things that he did, yet they were indignant? Why were they still resentful of Jesus? 

It's a matter of seeing Jesus for who he is. These people who were healed called out to him and praised him. Yet the Chiefs and priests only saw another good man or prophet. They didn't see the son of God. So many times in our Christian faith we're resentful towards God knowing that some miracle happened because it doesn't fit our standards. We only want God to help when we ask, and we only want to give him credit for at most 20% of the work. We live a life that tries to place us on a higher pedestal. 

But if God is God? Is it really worth fighting him and staying blind?

Jesus is quite literally healing people and allowing the blind to see. And when the priests and scribes saw the "wonderful" things they were still indignant. Why were they displeased? Because they didn't see Jesus 

Jesus Curses the Fig Tree

 18 In the morning, as he was returning to the city, he became hungry. 19And seeing a fig tree by the wayside, he went to it and found nothing on it but only leaves. And he said to it, "May no fruit ever come from you again!" And the fig tree withered at once.

 20When the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, "How did the fig tree wither at once?" 21And Jesus answered them, "Truly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, 'Be taken up and thrown into the sea,' it will happen. 22And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith."

There are two significant realities here (both are encouraging and provoking):   1. Why do you think Jesus made the fig tree wither? Here's what I see, a fig tree is suppose to produce figs. Yet the fig tree had leaves and posed as a fig tree but produced no fruit what so ever. Jesus seeing that the fig tree served no purpose and seeing that it was deceptive made it wither. So what does that mean? It's a reality to our faith. If we pose as christians and do the best we can to seem like we have it all together. Whether We do the right thing or eventually do all the good things we can do (go to church, read the bible). If we do anything without purpose we are useless. Our purpose should be to glorify God's kingdom. And if we don't have a heart of passion for God, well the truth is that we are damned. That's the reality, there is a hell.   2. Yet what else do we learn? If we have faith in Jesus if we believe, if we truly do know christ, we can not only do what he does but even move mountains. These mountains may be literal or figurative mountains representing our internal struggles and sins. We have the chance to fight. But look, here's the fact the disciples after being with jesus now for about 2 years didn't even know that was possible. They still couldn't believe who Jesus was even though they walked with him for two years. But guys, we have the holy spirit. And we can pray and really seek. The truth to the disciples is the same truth to us. So ask in prayer in full faith. Really, when you pray how much do you believe in God?    There's a difference between doubting and asking/seeking. And doubting and being apathetic/giving up.

  The Authority of Jesus Challenged

 23 And when he entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came up to him as he was teaching, and said, "By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?" 24Jesus answered them, "I also will ask you one question, and if you tell me the answer, then I also will tell you by what authority I do these things. 25The baptism of John, from where did it come? From heaven or from man?" And they discussed it among themselves, saying, "If we say, 'From heaven,' he will say to us, 'Why then did you not believe him?' 26But if we say, 'From man,'we are afraid of the crowd, for they all hold that John was a prophet." 27So they answered Jesus, "We do not know." And he said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.

Here's the scenario: the chiefs and "know it all" come to Jesus and basically ask him, who really are you? (prophet, son of God? lunatic?). And Jesus says, "well you know who John the Baptist is? when he baptized me with the spirit and when he spoke of me, who was he representing?" At this time everyone knew John the Baptist was a prophet, a lot of people equated him to Elijah and he was well known. So the chiefs huddled up and thought we could give two answers. One acknowledge that John was a prophet which would conclude that Jesus is the son of God since that was what John was saying (Obviously the right answer). or Two saying, "we don't know" (playing the ignorant card). They went with answer two and Jesus blatantly rejected them and said neither do i know.   This is the same as our faith. If we do acknowledge those miracles in our lives, if we chose to disobey God or be ignorant. Jesus won't be chasing us. We need to want God more. But at the same time, if we acknowledge Jesus for who he is and go to him whole heartedly he will give a reply. And you will know. We can all know who Jesus is by simply asking him and acknowledging what he did for us. But the question is how much do you want it?

The Parable of the Two Sons

 28 "What do you think? A man had two sons. And he went to the first and said, 'Son, go and work in the vineyard today.' 29And he answered, 'I will not,' but afterward he changed his mind and went. 30And he went to the other son and said the same. And he answered, 'I go, sir,' but did not go.31Which of the two did the will of his father?" They said, "The first." Jesus said to them, "Truly, I say to you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes go into the kingdom of God before you. 32For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him. And even when you saw it, you did not afterwardchange your minds and believe him.   Who knows when we will turn around and go fully back to God. And who knows when we will truly experience him for who he is. Honestly, only God knows. And it shouldn't be something we should worry about. All we can do is obey and desire him. He is our father and we are his sons. Even in your house did you ever worry about paying the bills of feeding yourself as a baby? All we did was obey our father and listen to him. And it was our father that worried about the next meal, the next bill, and the next thing. If God is our father he has a plan for us, and he is far better than any earthly father. Let's seek him and hope that we can obey.    God is real :] and he loves you. 

The Parable of the Tenants

 33 "Hear another parable. There was a master of a house who planted a vineyard and put a fence around it and dug a winepress in it and built a tower and leased it to tenants, and went into another country. 34When the season for fruit drew near, he sent his servants[

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] to the tenants to get his fruit. 35 And the tenants took his servants and beat one, killed another, andstoned another. 36 Again he sent other servants, more than the first. And they did the same to them. 37Finally he sent his son to them, saying, 'They will respect my son.' 38But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, 'This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and have his inheritance.'39And they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. 40When therefore the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?" 41They said to him, "He will put those wretches to a miserable death and let out the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the fruits in their seasons."

 42Jesus said to them, "Have you never read in the Scriptures:     "'The stone that the builders rejected    has become the cornerstone;[d] this was the Lord’s doing,    and it is marvelous in our eyes'?

 43Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits. 44And the one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him."[e]

 45When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they perceived that he was speaking about them. 46And although they were seeking to arrest him, they feared the crowds, because they held him to be a prophet.

How much do we try to avoid certain truths in our hearts? Things that scream out at us. We continue to suppress it more and more until we forget what the feeling/truth was. As Jesus tells this parable he is talking about himself. And how he will be killed. How he will be rejected. That pharisees knew what he was talking about, but all they wanted to do was kill him. And the only thing that stopped them was the people's view of Jesus. But even the people didn't see Jesus as Jesus. No one saw Jesus as the son of God. Even after this parable they still saw him as a prophet. 

If we continue to live without God we'll lose that relationship and we'll eventually became jaded to what we once knew was so true. Cling on guys. Especially with finals come around. I know you're tired!! But keep at it. God is able. 

Praying for you <3

MATTHEW 22 [12.16-23.2011]

The Parable of the Wedding Feast

 1And again Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying, 2 "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son, 3and sent his servants[a] to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come. 4 Again he sent other servants, saying, 'Tell those who are invited, See, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast.' 5But they paid no attention and went off, one to his farm, another to his business, 6while the rest seized his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them. 7The king was angry, and he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and burned their city. 8Then he said to his servants, 'The wedding feast is ready, but those invited were not worthy. 9Go therefore to the main roads and invite to the wedding feast as many as you find.' 10And those servants went out into the roads and gathered all whom they found, both bad and good. So the wedding hall was filled with guests.

 11"But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment. 12And he said to him, 'Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?' And he was speechless. 13Then the king said to the attendants, 'Bind him hand and foot and cast him into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' 14For many are called, but few are chosen."

Who are we? are we the farmer? the business men? the servant bashers? the random other guest? or the guest without clothes?

Incase there's any questions the garment refers to Christ and his blood and how it cleans us and allows us to come into God's presence. 

Yet the weeping and gnashing of teeth, does refer to hell. But as much as hell exists God loves us and calls us all. So why give up the opportunity to be at the banquet?

Paying Taxes to Caesar

 15 Then the Pharisees went and plotted how to entangle him in his words.16And they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, "Teacher, we know that you are true and teach the way of God truthfully, and you do not care about anyone’s opinion, for you are not swayed by appearances.[b] 17Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes toCaesar, or not?" 18But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, "Why put me to the test, you hypocrites? 19Show me the coin for the tax." And they brought him a denarius.[c] 20And Jesus said to them, "Whose likeness and inscription is this?" 21They said, "Caesar’s." Then he said to them, "Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s."22When they heard it, they marveled. And they left him and went away.

  Even Herodians, people who were against Christ, say that Jesus is true and teaches the way of God. Yet, they still question him and try to pin him down to worldly standards. Which is why they ask him what do you do about taxes? But Jesus knew they were filled with malice (deceitful intentions and quickly said pay what is due to Ceaesar and to God the things that are God's). Could Jesus be saying? God is separate from life?   I highly doubt it, I think Jesus is saying something that have yet to fully understand since they are but hypocrites filled with malice. The things that are Caesar's is God, so encompassing all things is God. Yet they remained blind to that idea. They simply marveled, thinking he was giving a politically correct answer.   But here's the thing for us. It's simple. We're in the world but we're not of it. We live here, but for a different person and God does exist. And he is real!    Good luck with finals!

Sadducees Ask About the Resurrection

 23The same day Sadducees came to him, who say that there is no resurrection, and they asked him a question, 24saying, "Teacher, Moses said, 'If a man dies having no children, his brother must marry the widow and raise up children for his brother.' 25Now there were seven brothers among us. The first married and died, and having no children left his wife to his brother. 26So too the second and third, down to the seventh. 27After them all, the woman died. 28In the resurrection, therefore, of the seven, whose wife will she be? For they all had her."

 29But Jesus answered them, "You are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God.30For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. 31And as for the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was said to you by God: 32 'I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'? He is not God of the dead, but of the living." 33And when the crowd heard it, they were astonished at his teaching.

  The age old question, what happens after we die? Do we believe in eternal life after death and what happens then? But before we answer that, let's look at the passage. Sadducees are like Pharisees but they don't believe in the resurrection. So they think of the wisest question ever. If by physical law we are to be married to one person, and if that person has to marry two people because their first husband dies, who would they be married to in heaven? You see, often times we try to analyze the bible, heaven, God, etc. with worldly eyes. For instance, what is food going to taste like in heaven? Am I going to sweat? Will I be tired? Who will be my wife? Is there sex? But if we ask those questions, we lose the focus of heaven. Heaven is where God is. Think about it. When you go to heaven you can see God and realize who is the guy who created everything and knew everything. When we are in front of God we can final realize...IS THAT REALLY YOU? DID YOU REALLY KNOW ME THAT WELL?? IS THAT REALLY HOW MUCH YOU LOVED ME?! And we wouldn't be able to fathom it. Because, you see, when we die we do become alive again. How do I know? Look at what God said so many times in the old testament, "I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." This was long after these three people died physically. Yet, God doesn't say, I WAS the God of...he says I AM the God of....  So is there life after death? Yes. And are we really alive if we died physically? Yes. But do worldly standards apply to heaven? No.  The joy of Heaven, is knowing God. The God who will freely share with you all that you thought you never knew. The God of the universe would have a relationship with you. We're talk about God here.

The Great Commandment

 34 But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. 35 And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. 36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” 37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”   Hey I hope you all have a lovely break :]. And I'll miss you all but I know you'll have a great time with your family so enjoy it!! You all deserve it!!!   Going into todays passage, I think we've all heard this before. Yet, we always still see it as law 1 and law 2. But here's the think, loving God with all year heart means that you would love all that he does and all that he created which includes you and me. Which mean's you can't fullfill the second law if you're not doing the first law. There's something beyond just love between blood or physical love. There's  a God centered love that last for eternity. Just as we believe in eternal life, there is an eternal love that goes beyond our 80 years on earth. But we can only know this love if we truly love God with our heart, soul, and mind. Which would lead us to love all that he has created. So that we would love ourselves and others, because this was what God planned all along.

Whose Son Is the Christ?

 41 Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them a question, 42 saying, “What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?” They said to him, “The son of David.” 43 He said to them, “How is it then that David, in the Spirit, calls him Lord, saying,

 44 “‘The Lord said to my Lord,  “Sit at my right hand,     until I put your enemies under your feet”’?

 45 If then David calls him Lord, how is he his son?” 46 And no one was able to answer him a word, nor from that day did anyone dare to ask him any more questions.

Christmas is coming soon! So why not seek who Jesus really is. In the end Jesus is Lord! Seems simple enough, but it's hard to understand. Jesus used the logic with David as he called Christ Lord although he may be considered his son. The same goes for us. Do we call Jesus man? teacher? prophet? or son of God. But the truth is Jesus is Christ, who is the son of God. And honestly, not everything in Christianity will make sense logically. But one day, when we're in heaven. We will see that it could not have been any clearer. And no other history and future could have been better planned.

MATTHEW 23 [12.24-26.2011]

Matthew 23

Seven Woes to the Scribes and Pharisees

 1 Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, 2 “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat, 3 so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice. 4 They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear,[a] and lay them on people's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger. 5 They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long, 6 and theylove the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues 7 andgreetings in the marketplaces and being called rabbi[b] by others. 8 But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brothers.[c] 9 And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. 10 Neither be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Christ. 11 The greatest among you shall be your servant. 12 Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

 13 “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut the kingdom of heaven in people's faces. For you neither enter yourselves nor allow those who would enter to go in.[d] 15 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel across sea and land to make a single proselyte, and when he becomes a proselyte, you make him twice as much a child of hell[e] as yourselves.

 16 “Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.’ 17You blind fools! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that has made the gold sacred? 18 And you say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gift that is on the altar, he is bound by his oath.’ 19 You blind men! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that makes the gift sacred? 20 So whoever swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. 21 And whoever swears by the temple swears by it and by him who dwells in it. 22 And whoever swears byheaven swears by the throne of God and by him who sits upon it.

 23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill andcumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. 24 You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel!

 25 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. 26 You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean.

 27 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people's bones and all uncleanness. 28 So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

 29 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous, 30 saying, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ 31 Thus you witness against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. 32 Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers. 33You serpents, you brood of vipers, how are you to escape being sentenced to hell?34 Therefore I send you prophets and wise men and scribes, some of whom you will kill and crucify, and some you will flog in your synagogues and persecute from town to town, 35 so that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah the son of Barachiah,[f] whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar. 36 Truly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation.

Just to clarify, God isn't saying not to call your father your father. But he is simply saying just as you are willing to call your father on earth your father. Know that the father in Heaven is even more real and everlasting than your physical father. He is the one who has created all things. It's all about what's on the inside vs what's on the outside. I guess a perspective switch.

Merry Christmas Eve :]

Lament over Jerusalem

37 k“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that lkills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have mgathered nyour children together oas a hen gathers her brood punder her wings, and qyou were not willing! 38 See, ryour house is left to you desolate. 39 For I tell you, you will not see me again, until you say, s‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’”

God is for us, the same way he is for Jerusalem. Even though Jerusalem continually denied him he continually gathered the city as children. And although we always say we have time to come back to him later or pray later or read the bible later. The truth is, when that day is over it's over. We can't go back in time. But we have hope now. Even now we can pray or read. Or simply see Jesus as Lord. And that can change our future and eternity. But the things that we don't do will just pass us by.

MATTHEW 24 [1.1-3.2011]

Happy New Year :],

Sorry for not writing a QT this week, I was busy planning/speaking/and leading worship at my church youth retreat x[. But we're back another year 2012. So let's start it off right!!

Matthew 24

Jesus Foretells Destruction of the Temple

 1 Jesus left the temple and was going away, when his disciples came to point out to him the buildings of the temple. 2 But he answered them, “You see all these, do you not? Truly, I say to you, there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.”

  This symbolic imagery that Jesus makes about him dying, tells about the totality of the crucifixion. Every stone was taken down and the temple was taken down so that it may be rebuilt through Jesus.  Sometimes in life we have to take every down and just let it go so that it can be rebuilt. With this new year coming along what are somethings you might want to take down?

Signs of the End of the Age

3 As he sat on vthe Mount of Olives, the disciples came to himwprivately, saying, “Tell us, xwhen will these things be, and what will be the sign of your ycoming and of zthe end of the age?” 4 And Jesus answered them, a“See that no one leads you astray. 5 For bmany will come in my name, saying, ‘I am cthe Christ,’ and they will lead many astray. 6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that youdare not alarmed, for this emust take place, but the end is not yet. 7 Forfnation will rise against nation, and gkingdom against kingdom, and there will be hfamines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are but the beginning of ithe birth pains.

9 “Then jthey will deliver you up kto tribulation and lput you to death, and myou will be hated by all nations for my name's sake. 10 And then many will fall away1 and nbetray one another and hate one another. 11 And many ofalse prophets will arise pand lead many astray.12 And because lawlessness will be increased, qthe love of many will grow cold. 13 rBut the one who endures to the end will be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom swill be proclaimed throughout the whole world tas a testimony uto all nations, and vthen the end will come.

I guess this is where you get that idea, once everyone hears the gospel the world's going to end. But even as Jesus is talking about this talking about the end, end, and not his crucifixion he uses a language that is somewhat vague yet descriptive. Yet, this message that's proclaimed throughout the world would be a testimony to all nations. So if we share a single testimony, it is in Jesus Christ. So it's not literally everyone hears and then the world ends. Rather the focus is the gospel and the unity that it brings in a single testimony. We're brothers because of Christ. And we have to fight in this world for our time with God!!

he Abomination of Desolation  15 “So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), 16 then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17 Let the one who is on the housetop not go down to take what is in his house,18 and let the one who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak. 19 And alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! 20 Pray that your flight may not be in winter or on a Sabbath. 21 For then there will begreat tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be. 22 And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short. 23 Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. 24 For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. 25 See, I have told you beforehand. 26 So, if they say to you, ‘Look, he is in the wilderness,’ do not go out. If they say, ‘Look, he is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it.27 For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 28 Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather. Who knows if the end of times is now or tomorrow. But the one truth is this, that there will eventually be an end. Just like we all eventually die, there's an end. But Jesus says something vital in v.26 to 27. When Jesus comes back we will all know as the lightening comes it will be that evident. But at the same time in v.26 it says that we can't somehow skew christianity in the meantime. So many times we begin to substantiate our faith and make God a pocket sized God. A God we can control, who we pray to when we want something. But you see no matter what people say or how the world portrays God, God is real. And the bible is truth. So cling on! He will give us strength if we just pray and ask. I won't be able to send QT's till sunday since I'll be at vision and then I'll be at church without a computer. So PLEASE keep up with some sort of bible reading. Fight for it.

[sangbak-blog]

JOHN

John 1 [9.30.2012]

  [Seeing Precedes Following]

  When we see Jesus calling his disciples from v. 35-50, I notice one commonality among them all. Andrew and Peter in v.41 "We have found the Messiah." Philip in v.45 "We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote..." And Nathaniel v.49 "Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!". In Christian life many of us are stuck in limbo. We see Jesus as a teacher. We see the bible as a moral handbook or the Christian handbook to live life, but we rarely begin to see God as God. God as fully and completely God. Not just a choice but a definite answer. To simply break it down, it's as if (when talking to a christian), they know the answer is A on a test. They say they know that God exists. But for the time being they will choose choices B-Z even though they "know" that its the wrong answer. We won't be able to fully experience God and follow him and pursue him unless we begin to really see him for who he is. Let's pursue this together. Like Jay said, this is the God who is a greater gift then we can fathom. Let's accept the invitation of the one who died for us and rose again. The one who will graciously reveal himself if we just asked.

  John 2 [10.1.2012]

  [Jesus Knows Us]

  In v.23-24 we see that people begin to notice Jesus and believed in him. However, Jesus himself didn't entrust himself to them because he knew them and needed no one to bear witness about man. What does that mean? It means people wanted to follow Jesus, but he realized that people were going to follow him for the wrong reasons. Just to boast in a man who can do miracles rather than seeing God. I feel like many people have the same dilemma when it comes to Jesus. He's either just our handy man or a genie and rarely is he seen as God. But I think that leaves us at two points. The fact is that Jesus knows us. He knows our intentions and our hearts. So either we can keep trying to play the "holy act" or we can repent. Or, we can ask Jesus for guidance and really see him as God and take joy in the fact that he will still answer us despite our imperfections. God's grace. Always amazing.

        John 3 [10.2.2012]

  [Freedom and Totality]

  Do you feel as free as the wind? Or filled with the spirit to see God for God? Nicodemus only saw Jesus as a teacher and his view was so finite. It's kind of ridiculous to look at an infinite thing and try to make it finite. Yet, many of us carry around our Compact Sized Jesus. One who does whatever we wish. And only loves us. But that's the totality of scripture. Everyone's heard of John 3:16, but do you know what comes after? I dare you to read the bible in context today. Read chapter 3. Or at least John 3:16-21. There's a totality in scripture that will bring freedom and hope.

      John 4 [10.3.2012]

  [Believe the Word]

  It's funny how Jesus continually takes about the Spirit, living water, and signs and wonders. But when it comes down to it it was his words that initially started making people believe. v.41 "...many more believed because of his word..." v.50...the man believed the word that Jesus spoke..." Often times we don't even believe the word. Which is why many of us disregard the scripture. We'd rather have someone else tell us what to think or believe, because we find it too complicated. Almost like the presidential debates, half the time we get our political information from satires, friends, youtube videos, or SNL sketches. But never do we just go to the source. Let's go to the source of God's word and look at scripture today. Believe in his word. And see the signs and wonders that only God can do. 

        John 5 [10.4.2012]

  [Why is the OT God and NT God so Different?]

  He's not and this is one clear example of how he is not. From v.19-47 it goes into the authority that Jesus has and that he is given all authority in Judgement. Isn't that weird? At the end it'll be Jesus saying was my grace enough? was my death enough? And he will be the one judging us. We have this weird complex thinking, God is evil and Jesus is nice. But they are one. The trinity is one. And God is constant. And in here, we see Jesus having that judgement. We will be judged that's not a question. But where's the hope, I think it comes in v.44 "How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?" Did you ever stop to think that God wants to give you glory...odd. Think about it. :]

        John 6 [10.5.2012]

  [Seeing the Invisible God]

  I would say this is an extremely dense passage. But to break it down as simple as possible I'll look at v.22-68.

Without going into too much detail the issue was "why are the disciples choosing to follow Jesus". Jesus had many followers, beside the 12, who are mentioned as disciples. Yet, when Jesus attempts to explain the eternal and spiritual with the physical they misunderstand everything. Many times we misunderstand what God has called us to do. And that it is only through the father that we are given access to God (which is noted many times in this passage). But in the end, Jesus simply says believe and take part with him. And in v.63 Jesus clarifies that he is talking about the spirit. Yet, in v. 66 many disciples turned and walked away. The truth is, people will turn and walk away. You may turn and walk away. But that doesn't change the fact that God exists. Wrestle with God today, so that you may not walk away.

      John 7 [10.6.2012]

  [God + Jesus + Holy Spirit=Single Minded one person]

  v.28 "...You know me, and you know where I come from? But I have not come of my own accord. He who sent me is true, and him you do not know. I know him, for I come from, and he sent me."

  Many times we misperceive God and Jesus. We see God as this wrathful father who has to punish us and Jesus as the lamb who steps in our stead to save us. But many times in scripture Jesus notes that God is the one who had sent him. And that because he was sent he came, trusting in God. See God is for us and not against us, which makes sense that Jesus, who is the son of God (being fully man and fully God), would do likewise and obey God. Because you can't go against yourself...it doesn't make sense. In the end God wanted to send his son and Jesus willingly came and God's plan was fullfilled. Which is why, God so love the world he gave his one and only son. But to look at the large scheme of it all it's like this.

  The minute Eve ate the fruit and Adam didn't stop her and even before that moment. God knowing we would sin, looked at Jesus and said (my own words), "Son, we're going to have to do something to bring our children back, I'm going to have to show them my justice and goodness while still maintaining the love I want to give." And Jesus looked back at God and said, "Yes, years from now we will take upon the sins that man can never atone for so that we may have a relationship and love them."

      John 8 [10.7.2012]

  [Do you Know God?]

  It seems as though the on going debate is who is Jesus? And who is God? Even back then when Jesus appeared everyone didn't understand what he was saying and who he really was. And even today many of us shy away from reading the bible because it's too hard to "understand". Or we don't give it time. But to be honest, it's often hard to see God for God. And it's mostly because what we know. In the end, we're nothing more than Pharisees who know too much and experience too little. In the end, all we have is knowledge which allows us so easily to walk away from God. So the question in the end is...do you, really, know God?

      John 9 [10.8.2012]

  [What We See]

  When I see the journey of the Blind Man it's so similar to my own. My initial reason for following Jesus was for my own vendetta. I saw christianity to be the most agreeable religion so why not give it a try. I followed the moral rules for good conduct and saw that it was a "nice" religion. So I pursued. Like the blind man who told the Pharisees that Jesus was a prophet and a teacher I had not idea otherwise. Even when his parents don't defend him he still followed Jesus. Yet, when Jesus comes back. In v.35 it says that Jesus heard that he was cast out and found him (the blind man). I think Jesus found me again. Realizing I was not really seeing who he was and seeing that I was discouraged. I'm sure the blind man was tremendously discouraged at this point. Yet, when Jesus finally, truly, opened his eyes it says that he (the blind man) worshipped him. If it's hard to worship God or see him. It's because we're still blind. Sometimes we need to just linger in his presence and wait. Not for the knowledge. Not too be a good person. Not to be self-dignified. Not to cure ourselves. But simply to see God. Radical? or Basic?

      John 10 [10.9.2012]

  10 “Very truly I tell you Pharisees, anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber.2 The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5 But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.”6 Jesus used this figure of speech, but the Pharisees did not understand what he was telling them.

7 Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. 8 All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. 9 I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved.[a] They will come in and go out, and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

      John 11 [10.10.2012]

  [On Emotions]

  I think many of us in Christian life have been told to neglect our emotions. Many times we're told time and time again be joyful. Forget about it. God will overcome. But, the truth is we are still human. And we're not angels. We're not fully spiritual we're still physical. And when it comes to things in lift it gets hard. Christian faith gets hard. Tests get hard. A death gets hard. But I think that's the grand point that we've missed thus far. That God was emotional. He had emotions. 

  v.35 (the shortest bible verse in the bible) "Jesus Wept"

  Jesus continually states numerous times that Lazarus will be raised again. That God will be glorified. And in the end Lazarus is raised from the death. Jesus knew the outcome but still cried then. Why? Because he was moved in his spirit and troubled by the pain he saw in those around him. He had compassion. He felt pain. He understood sorrow. God understands our pains and weeps for us. And even in seeing the hope that is to come  there are just times we have to cry. It's okay to cry. It's okay to have emotions. But don't forget the hope. As God doesn't forget your pain.

      John 12 [10.11.2012]

   [Misdirection]

  When you hear that Lazarus is raised from the dead. You think...what the crap? Not possible. How is that even real that's probably made up. But when you read on in John 12, when the pharisees hear the Lazarus was raised from the dead they think, "Let's kill him again, too many people believe Jesus now because of this miracle." So many times we see God do something unimaginable in our lives. So many times we have moment where we think God is real. But what we tend to do is kill the miracle. Instead of thinking, OMGOODNESS look at what God has done. We think, "Let's debunk this one, let's get rid of this miracle." So why are we misdirecting ourselves? What are some miracles that we have overlooked?

      John 13 [10.12.2012]

  [Misunderstood]

  Ironically, Jesus vividly pointed out who will betray him. He literally said whoever I give this bread to. Yet, no one at the meal understood why Jesus said what he said to Judas. His own disciples couldn't see the obvious fact.

  22 His disciples stared at one another, at a loss to know which of them he meant. 23 One of them, the disciple whom Jesus loved, was reclining next to him. 24 Simon Peter motioned to this disciple and said, “Ask him which one he means.”

25 Leaning back against Jesus, he asked him, “Lord, who is it?”

26 Jesus answered, “It is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish.” Then, dipping the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. 27 As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him.

So Jesus told him, “What you are about to do, do quickly.” 28 But no one at the meal understood why Jesus said this to him. 

      John 14 [10.14.2012]

  [RISE]

  "Let not your heart be troubled. Believe in God..."

  I think we have to access ourselves what are we dependent on. At the end of the day what/who do you credit for your actions? Weird question right? Wouldn't you credit yourself? But what if we went beyond the scope of ourselves. What if the problems that we had weren't the life ending problems that we perceived them to be. And the priorities would shift to one that looks to God. It's okay to be dependent on a God who is unending in all things. In fact, it would be logical. We need the spirit of God to start work within us. And in order to really encounter God. But the fact remains...what are we dependent on?

      John 15 [10.15.2012]

  [Chosen]

  You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you"

  I think we have this selfish "Me" attitude when it comes to christianity. Sorry if that's a bit too direct. But let's get down to real talk :]. When many people read this verse they focus on asked whatever to God and it will be given. We always want to bear fruit and have a good life. We'll do the christian thing as long as it doesn't affect my social life or academia or the extra curriculars I want to do. But the truth is that the focus is the chosen part. If God chose you and if you are in christ you are from the same tree and have the same xylum and phlolem in you (sorry if I spelt that wrong it's the veins in a tree). But what is our focus for being Christian. I tell you the truth the God of the universe exists. It's just do you want him for him. Or do you want him for you? Chosen?? or Not?? Pray. Because God will come because he loves

      John 16 [10.16.2012]

  v.1 "I have said all these things to you to keep you from falling away."

v. 16 "A little while, and you will see me no longer; and again a little while, and you will see me."

  I think we need a constant reminder in our life. It's just how we function. When we need that motivation to study we either remember our parents who work so hard for our education, or we remember our dream to become successful. When we need a desire to really help out we remember that homeless family we once saw, or that video that compelled us to be charitable. And God knowing this sent Jesus in order to remind us. I think we should take some time to remember now. Think of the enormity of God. Read the bible. :] Pray~

      John 17 [10.17.2012]

  Everytime I read this chapter I shed a gangster tear now. I won't taint it with my feelings or emotions but I'll leave this one pure. I highly highly highly suggest that you simply read this prayer.

  This is the prayer that is prayed at Gethsemane when he is sweating blood.

  This is something that you must read!!!

      John 18 [10.18.2012]

  [Abandoning God]

  Abandoning God is the easiest thing you can do. Let's be honest. Less social pressure. Less moral conduct. No need to think in the abstract. About 5 hours of your life a week given back. The idea of just the world turning as is and doing what you want. But then let's also be honest. 

  Abandoning God isn't your innermost desire. What then comes of the suffering in this world? Where does the hope go? What happens after we die? Can people really become perfect? What becomes of those I love? What's the point of living today? Why do I feel so depressed today?

  For Peter abandoning God was a cover to hide and eventually became a habit covered in complacency. You could easily abandon God now. If Peter, a disciple who saw so many miracles and knew that Jesus was God can do, I'm definitely sure you can do it as well. But what we miss, in doing so, is the grandeur of God. Luckily for Peter, Jesus did come back and later encouraged him. And luckily for us Jesus died on the cross years ago and rose again. Simply saying, come back. Come as you are. 

  There's so much we don't know. And so much were complacent with. But the question is...was it worth it?

      John 19 [10.19.2012]

  [Finished]

  v.30 "When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, "It is finished," and he bowed his head and gave up his  spirit."

  The final action before Jesus' death was him giving his spirit for us all. There's a tremendous reason why God had to come down as man and die. The fact was that people, being human, would always sin. Even now people continue to sin. So in this way an eternal God had to die. So that we would be eternally forgiven. His spirit was not taken away from him and it wasn't bartered or marketed. Rather, he came down willingly and gave up his spirit for the sake of us all. So that we may be eternally forgiven. It is finished.

      John 20 [10.20.2012]

  [A Reason]

  What is our reason for believing God? Do we believe God because we have seen? Or because we have heard? Or because we have experienced? I think we believe God ultimately because at one moment in our lives everything within our being cried out this is God. There is a God who died for me. And it had nothing to do with what we heard or saw. But at that moment the holy spirit moved within us. So what is our reason for believing God today. And how clear is the belief we once had? I pray that we would come back to the heart of worship.

      John 21 [10.21.2012]

  "Love Jesus Feed Sheep"

  So many times we can read this and focus on the human nature. Or possible the whole full circle that the gospel takes on. Or we see the doubt in ourselves and how Jesus asking. Or the enormity of God's love for us despite it all. Or even the enormity of God knowing yet still asking. But let's go over the simple fact. If you love Jesus, he said feed my lambs, tend my sheep, feed my sheep...how many of us are doing that at all? It's something radical to really think about.

[sangbak-blog]

EZRA

EZRA 1 [8.6.2012]

  It's amazing to see how the spirit compels people to move. Sometimes when I'm stagnant or just don't know where to go in faith, I ask the spirit to fill me up. We need the spirits power to compel us.

EZRA 2 [8.7.2012]

  [The Exiles Return]

  Often times we forget God and lose sight of him. Yet, what I find unfathomable always, is that God always has a plan and he redeems us. And even in the end he calls for our return to seek him and find him. See, when we understand God, God isn't the one who causes us to suffer and wishes suffering upon us. Rather, in this world, filled with sin, where suffering exists God redeems the evil and turns it into good. He takes our relentless efforts and gives us peace. And he is the one that assures us that although it seems as though we lose control of the world around us that he is the one that is fully in control of it all.

        EZRA 3 [8.8.2012]

      EZRA 4 [8.9.2012]

  Do I have the boldness and faith to look past discouragement and ridicule? If God is my rock then he would provide a way against adversaries of any kind, just like the passage here.

        EZRA 5 [8.10.2012]

  [Seeing God]

  We often stop fighting because we no longer see the battle in front of us. And we often stop worshipping because we begin to lose sight of the enormity of God. It's something within us that has to keep fighting to seek out God because the absolute truth is that when we stop fighting we can slowly slip away. And in the end we forget the convictions of our youth and remain complacent. What I see here is a remembrance of God's plan and the king's decree. Sometimes it takes us a long time to start what we left behind, but we always have to go back to the start. What happened to that moment when we thought, "God you're worthy, you saved me, thank you so much for the blood of your son." Are we going to write it off as...that was just me being young and dreaming fantasties. Or will we pursue to see even greater things that this God can do? 

      EZRA 6 [8.11.2012]

      EZRA 7 [8.13.2012]

  [Seek First His Kingdom and His Righteousness]

  Often times when we read the verse in Matthew 6:33 we think all I have to do is pray, read the bible, go to church, and "act" good and God will give me an A and allow me to have a good job and have a great relationship and be an awesome person. But then that begs the question of are you seeking his kingdom and his righteousness first or your well being. I'll be honest I often seek my well being. I pamper myself with the food/clothes i buy. And often times I think what will that person think of me if I do this. But what if our motive for seeking his kingdom and righetouesness was simply that. Simply to see his face and really see God not so we can be assured or blessed. Now that's a deeper motive also. Are we seeking God simply to assure our own salvation? Because then we cripple our faith in a matter of years, why? Because if God doesn't appear in the time frame i give him then I decide that he doesn't exist. If God doesn't show up when I do this and this then I will give up on him. But God never gives up one us....Odd. I state all of this because I feel like this is what Ezra goes through in chapter 7. God's hand is upon him and King gives him so many things...SO that he can worship God. It's not like Ezra is given money, authority, power, or a cute girlfriend. No he's given the means to worship God and lead other people to God. But is that enough? It seemed more than enough for Ezra and it allowed him to see God's sovereign hand. Maybe the question that has to be asked is God really God and is he worth it? I believe undoubtedly so, regardless of how many times we fall or forget or fall into the monotony of life. It's never too late to come back. It's never too late to check our hearts. It's never too late to be completely vulnerable before God. Although one thing is for sure. It get's a lot harder as time goes on.

      EZRA 8 [8.14.2012]

  [Reasonable Doubt]

  When I read verse 21-23 I not only see the importance of fasting and prayer but the normality of doubt. It's not a question that we will doubt God. In fact, Ezra after experiencing so much and knowing full well that God's hand was upon him had doubt. So much resides in this doubt. But what happens when we doubt is the key. Often times, doubt leads us to either distrust, distaste, or even disdain. And so many times we forget what God has done before the doubt (since we are temporal/circumstantial people). But how many of us really pray and fast and surrender to God even when we doubt? How many times do we remember what we so often forget? Doubt isn't a problem unless you make it a problem. 

      EZRA 9 [8.15.2012]

  [Relational Beings]

  Ezra see's the great problem in intermarriage because of the difference in faith. Not a matter of ethnic difference but a major difference in the God that we worship. Often times we overlook the influence of the people around us, whether they're our friends, parents, or boyfriend/girlfriend. Yet, we can't deny the influence they have us. And I guess the question begs...what kind of influence do we have on them? There isn't a black and white rule that can be derived from this (that would be legalistic and hypocritical) but there is a question that needs to be asked. What impact are these people having on my relationship with God? And what impact am I having on their relationship with God?

[sangbak-blog]

2 CHRONICLES

2 Chronicles 1 [6.30.2012]

  [Counting]

  In 1 Chronicles 21 David counts the men and God ends up killing 70,000 people in order to show that the men that David boast in is God's men. And that God could always take them away. 

  Often times it takes moments of suffering for us to realize what we take for granted. And often times it redirects us back to God and seeing how sovereign he is. The point of suffering isn't to torture us or for God to take out his anger on us, the point of suffering is God's hope of having us with him in eternity rather than falling short today and the rest of eternity.

  I won't be able to send out QT's until I come back from AMI Revolution but I know Danny will continue to send it out:D

2 Chronicles 2 [7.1.2012]

  As I read this passage I get a strong sense of how people often try so hard to bring God to earth. They often reach, strive, and do things to somehow sense God but they never rest and see the fact that God is already here. Too often, we're stuck in doing things that we can't see what is already here. However, for Solomons case, he built a temple because God allowed him too. And he saw how grand the temple must be for God (although later on he builds a better house for himself (human-desire). Yet, we have to realize that the scope of our reality isn't limited by God. And God shouldn't be limited to our scope of reality. In fact, God is the one who is much greater and grandeur then these simple physical things. 

      2 Chronicles 3 [7.2.2012]

  [The Inner Heart]

  When I see the way Solomon builds the temple, and the exact detail/goal he places into each item, I begin to see the desire within his heart to give God the best. Yet, so many times in my heart...I don't want to give God the best. I want to take the best or use God to attain the best. But I never think of giving God my very best. When it comes to the Most Holy Place solomon poured Gold upon Gold  in the place. And I wonder, what do I lay in my own heart?

      2 Chronicles 4 [7.3.2012]

  [Imagine if...]

  Imagine if we still had to build a temple of God today so that we can lift up daily sacrifices. How crazy would that be to have us continually trying to do something that we could never fully accomplish. Yet, in Jesus we no longer have to strive for perfection and try to do these things. But at the same time the matter becomes more of an internal struggle. What are we storing in our hearts? And what is going on within our minds. Is the God the farthest thing from our minds or do we rest in God so that he can make us pure and clean?

      2 Chronicles 5 [7.4.2012]

  What do we expect when we worship or live our lives for God...honestly. We often say we love God but do we really love him?? Honestly. Its something to wrestle with.

      2 Chronicles 6 [7.5.2012]

  [I cry]

  I cried reading this. All of it is just too immense. V.36-42 what grace?!? Hopefully I can elaborate before I leave to Guatemala. iPhone is restricting me :(

      2 Chronicles 7 [7.6.2012]

  [Impact]

  Worship has an impact. And it's much more than just singing songs. Christian life is much more than living.

  I'll be at guatemala for the next two weeks so I won't be able to post up QT's...but 

  KEEP FIGHTING THE GOOD FIGHT!!!! For real. Don't let up. Begin to disect the simple "facts" and make it an understanding within our hearts.

  Love y'all always.

            2 Chronicles 8 [7.7.2012]

GUATEMALA MISSION BEGINS

2 Chronicles 9 [7.8.2012]

2 Chronicles 10 [7.9.2012]

2 Chronicles 11 [7.10.2012]

2 Chronicles 12 [7.11.2012]

2 Chronicles 13 [7.12.2012]

2 Chronicles 14 [7.13.2012]

2 Chronicles 15 [7.14.2012]

2 Chronicles 16 [7.15.2012]

2 Chronicles 17 [7.16.2012]

2 Chronicles 18 [7.17.2012]

2 Chronicles 19 [7.18.2012]

2 Chronicles 20 [7.19.2012]

2 Chronicles 21 [7.20.2012]

2 Chronicles 22 [7.21.2012]

GUATEMALA MISSION ENDS

          2 Chronicles 23 [7.23.2012]

  [The Courage the Stand]

  Jehoiada had a decision to either follow a false king or stand firm and help establish the throne for the rightful king. And in his courage and boldness he was able to let go of his fears and do what was "right" only because he remembered God and God's words. Sometimes we forget what we should do or why we are doing certain things because we're frozen by fear. Fear or change. Or a fear in breaking habits. Or a fear of the future. But in the end, this one act of courage, all the people were able to rejoice.

  What fears are stopping us from worshiping our God?

  [[I would write a testimony about missions, but feel free to e-mail me if you'd like to hear it, or feel free to call :] ]] take care~

  keep fighting the good fight

      2 Chronicles 24 [7.24.2012]

  [Accountability]

  It seems as though Joash was only able to reign while doing right by God only until Jehoiada passed away. What I see from this is two things. One is the obvious necessity of accountability. Yet, another thing that comes to mind, is that we can't rely on a person to carry us for the rest of our lives. The only one we can rely on is the living God. And if we don't pursue him and his spirit and depend on him daily then we lose sight and rely on someone who is a temporary partner. We need to be spiritually bound to the things we do and less committed by religious actions.

      2 Chronicles 25 [7.25.2012]

  [Time]

  I'm guessing it's because it's summer, but the message that keeps reiterating in my mind is what are we doing with our free time? Honestly, before missions I wasn't that productive with my time and I wasn't spending nearly enough time on the word and in prayer as I thought I would. And even now I fight to wake up and pray or just linger in his presence. I think the same went with Amaziah. Before battle, in distress, he obeyed the counsel of God. But after battle during times of peace he instantly went to worship idols. It's amazing how swiftly we can forget our desperation and the times we thought we needed God and fall into things that just won't last.

      2 Chronicles 26 [7.26.2012]

  I find myself wondering why I don't cry out to God when I'm at rest. Or thank him more than I complain and ask questions. It seems that it's harder to rest in God when we ourselves are resting in ourselves.

      2 Chronicles 27 [7.27.2012]

  [Going against the Grain - Faith for the Faithless]

  Christianity isn't about social conformity. And we don't become christians because we meet good people in church or hope to be "morally" better. It's not a self-help program. And it's not a religious task based religion. Ultimately, it should be about our relationship with God and are we really encountering this God. Although Jotham did what was right the eyes of the Lord it says "but the people still followed corrupt ractices." Yet, still the Lord provided victory of Jotham and his people. It's not about going against status quo. But what I see here is something larger. Even if everyone around you is sinning or lacks faith. Your faith, your right standing before God, can bring victory for all the people. All it takes is your faithfulness and your desire/relationship for/with God. But, honestly, how much are we praying in faith? How much are we standing before God for the people. Let's intercede in faith and hope and joy.

      2 Chronicles 28 [7.28.2012]

  [Reliance]

  The simple truth is this "We all Die." No one is going to beat death. So what happens after we die is up to debate (if you want). But from what we know is that God is there. And that this God is not limited to simply living a part from us but that he can do great things now and today. So in the end, what are we relying on today? What are we relying on for tomorrow? What are we relying on for eternity?

  Because when we look at Ahaz he relied on everything that the world at the time would bring him assurance. But in the end he had nothing. Absolutely nothing, holding on to temporal things. I don't want to be powerless and hold onto these things anymore...

      2 Chronicles 29 [7.29.2012]

  [Restoration/Repentance]

  As Hezekiah restores the temple, I wonder when's the last time I restored my heart. There's something about outward repentance and coming before God and letting God come and fill us with joy and peace that is beyond is.

      2 Chronicles 30 [7.30.2012]

  [Party]

  Haha, isn't it amazing if you were at a feast for a week and then the host of the party decides you know what...we're going to be partying for another week. How awesome would that be? And the best part would be the unity within the community of everyone at that party. It's amazing how God accepts those who come back. And how we rejoice in his presence. But it's also amazing how often we forget everything that had ever happened. 

      2 Chronicles 31 [7.31.2012]

  [v.20-21]

  v.20-21 "Thus Hezekiah did throughout all JUdah and he did what was good and right and faithful before the LORD his God. ANd every work that he undertook in the service of the house of God in accordance with he law and the commandment, seeking his God, he did with all his heart, and prospered."

  Do I do things in order to get God's blessing and his provisions? Or is doing them enough because it is satisfying?

      2 Chronicles 32 [8.1.2012]

  [Too dense]

  It seems as though the word of God, the more diligently/humbly I read it, becomes more and more dense. I'll share just a single point, as a usually do, what I see in Hezekiah is his ability to acknowledge his short comings and understand the power of God. There is a lot of insight to be learned from him, a man who worships God. But like Hezekiah I pray and hope that my heart will never grow too proud. To always remember what God has done, is doing, and will do.

        2 Chronicles 33 [8.2.2012]

  [Humility in Repentance]

  We could say every intellectual thing and do every pragmatic thing. But if we don't pray, repent, and experience God what are we really worshipping?

        2 Chronicles 34 [8.3.2012]

  [Experiencing the Word]

When was the last time we experienced God and his love and wrath simply by looking at scripture. I just continually remember how forgetful I can be.

      2 Chronicles 35 [8.4.2012]

  [Spirituality]

  Josiah has been noted numerous times to have done what was right in the eyes of the Lord. Yet, in the end he is deceived and becomes near-sighted and ends up dying because he doesn't listen. However, he doesn't die because it is God's desire he merely dies because he just didn't listen. Even after his death people lament over him, and it's never noted that God was angry towards him. I think many times we do two things. One we over spiritualize every component of our lives and begin to think everything is a sign and we need a sign. Or two, we fail to recognize the spiritual repercussions and affects here and now. I think, what I see is the understanding of actions verses heart. And seeing God's heart in a given situation verses our hearts. I wish I could be more eloquent with this one, but this is something I'm chewing on some more these days and learning just this summer. But this is what stood out to me as I read this passage. I hope you guys continue to read and rest in God and just see what God is saying today.

      2 Chronicles 36 [8.5.2012]

  It's amazing to see how the spirit compels people to move. Sometimes when I'm stagnant or just don't know where to go in faith, I ask the spirit to fill me up. We need the spirits power to compel us.

[sangbak-blog]

1 CHRONICLES

1 Chronicles 1 [6.1.2012]

  [Genealogy]

  I don't know what to say about genealogy other than the importance of it, but we don't have much time to study each person written (although I'd love to get to have that time one day....but I too am lazy today). 

  But in the end we're all stems from Adams and some of these folks are technically our super great grandfathers. So it is quite interesting. 

  1 Chronicles 2 [6.2.2012]

  [Genealogy]

  It's strange how radical a bloodline can be. We all know from history that people use to live in the profession of their fathers pending on their bloodline. And so many times that restriction or freedom brought about because of the bloodline cannot be changed. Even in modern places like North Korea today are stuck to their social class because of their bloodline. Yet, even though blood maybe the strongest physical bond between people, God transcends it all. Amidst the flaws in this bloodline, Jesus was eventually born (technically within this genealogy) and he transcended all human bonds/flaws. 

  We jumped social classes because of Christ, who split blood to overcome blood.

      1 Chronicles 3 [6.3.2012]

  [Descendants of David]

  There's something critical about all the people we encounter. And all the people who come from us.

Yet, we often overlook many people in our lives as mere names, unless they are relatives.

  As I read this I'm beginning to see the value to spiritual bond in blood. And the purpose of Christ within generations.

God is our hope and our joy. I wouldn't have it any other way. 

      1 Chronicles 4 [6.4.2012]

  [Name]

  When I read this passage I lingered on Jabez and his circumstances. Often times, our name defines who we are. Which is why many parents take a considerable amount of time figuring out our english names or other language names in order to have our name stand out and have meaning. 

  And so many times I relied on my name to be my identity. Yet, in Jabez cases he was not limited to a name. A label above labels. Although his mother named him Jabez because he was born painfully, he didn't limit himself to hopelessness. Kind of like sticks and stones may break my bones but words won't hurt me. He didn't feel confined to his label and he called out to God who responded.

  Sometimes I feel like I'm stuck with a label of who I have to be. Or how much I am lacking. But even in those circumstances I lift it all up to God. And I pray for his redeeming power to do greater things than worldy labels.

      1 Chronicles 5 [6.5.2012]

  [Battle Cry]

  I think i've heard the "THIS IS SPARTA" slogan over and over again. And so many times battle cries seem to leave lasting impressions. Yet, the battle cry of the Reubenites and Gadities was a cry to God for help.

  It wasn't one to instill fear and show their dominance, but one that showed reliance and dependency upon a God who was above them. I think many times we often don't want to be dependent on God because it makes us look weak. But that's the same thing as not going to school or not studying because you "don't need it". Relying on something greater than ourselves isn't a weakness but it's a power. Especially when it's the God of the universe who hears our prays. 

  It's better to live for something worth living for. Then something that might just slip away.

      1 Chronicles 6 [6.6.2012]

  [Giving]

  I find it amazing that it is God who created the pasturelands which can be distributed. At the end of the day, when it comes to giving, we have been given more than enough, especially in the U.S. There's just so much that we take for granted and we often limit the gift to a physical being. We simply think, we deserve this. Or it's our right to live with such luxury. But so many times, we forget that it is God who made the earth and it is him who allows us to to enjoy it.

  If we've been given such a great gift why are we often hindered from giving?

      1 Chronicles 7 [6.7.2012]

  [Might Warriors]

  Throughout this passage the words that struck out to me were "able to go to war" and "mighty warriors". Often times we mistake the place where we are now as a time of peace and we let our guard down. Which leads up into temptation and often compromises our faith. But, just as it was back then, now we must stand and remain the mighty warriors that God has made us to be. 

  When I remember Kings I often think, "Why didn't they fight back? Repent? Try harder?" But even now, I look at my own life and think. Why don't I fight back? Why aren't I repenting? Why did I give up so easily. The truth is, it's easier to compromise our faith today. It's easy to forget that we're warriors as well fighting to make known what has already been revealed by God. Yet, often, we sulk in ourselves and begin to spend our time in other affairs. We often stop battling strange habbits, gossip, porn addictions, cursing, judgmental eyes, self-depricating humor, the lust for money, and the desire to be "successful" and "accepted" by the world. We just let loose.

  But God had a plan. To make us warriors fighting for a champion, Jesus Christ, who has already won. It's not a battle for victory but a battle of restoration and redemption on this world. And only God can do it. So why aren't we fighting? Why aren't we praying? Why aren't we reading? 

  Don't let summer drag you down. Let summer be an opportunity to go deeper into him by yourself. Take this time to reflect and rejoice in all that God has done. And really seek him out!

      1 Chronicles 8 [6.8.2012]

  [Gone in a Blink]

  Reading the genealogy hit me harder than most time before today. It's a simple truth but for some reason it keeps ringing in my head. We're all gone in a blink. But what we do now affects our generations later on. It's a second that lasts a lifetime and I plan to live every second for something eternal.

      1 Chronicles 9 [6.9.2012]

  [Unity In Community]

  It's remarkable how God brings back the exiles and once again each member is able to come together to build the community once again. It shows that God makes the worthless worthy and uses the dead to bring back to life.

God can do anything despite how I might view people.

      1 Chronicles 10 [6.10.2012]

  [Breach of Faith]

  So Saul died for his breach of faith. He broke faith with the LORD in that he did not keep the command of the LORD, and also consulted a medium, seeking guidance. He did not seek guidance from the LORD. Therefore the LORD put him to death and turned the kingdom over to David the son of Jesse.

  What are we consulting? How are we breaching our faith? How are we compromising/limiting our relationship with God?

      1 Chronicles 11 [6.11.2012]

  [Eagerness]

  A simple notion keeps ringing in my mind. You can only be eager about God if your desperate for him. And you can only be desperate for God if you know that you need him. And you can only know that you need him if you realize the battle that your in. I think that's what differentiate these mighty men from the rest. They were eager to fight and serve only because they knew it was worth doing. And more than that, they knew that it had to be done.

  If you realize your in war you'd be fighting. 

  Also I agree with Danny above, i moved onto chronicles without him. JK. But in seriousness I'm the worst of them all. 1 Corinthians 15:9

  Yet we should work harder than the rest!

      1 Chronicles 12 [6.12.2012]

  [Not Much of Anything]

  "When the LORD saw that they humbled themselves...[the LORD said] "I will not destroy them, but i will grant them some deliverance"

"When he [Rehoboam] humbled himself the wrath of the LORD turned from him"

  There something about humility and acknowledging God as God and seeing God for God. It's something I am personally realizing more and more each day and especially this summer. I'm an immature fool at best with nothing but God. Without God I'm at most a man, with him I'm am in the least a child of God. 

I pray for deep, sincere, genuine humility in order to know him more.

      1 Chronicles 13 [6.13.2012]

  [Mighty Men]

  Dedication to his cause and full commitment to his glory. Christianity is an all in or nothing deal in the sense that despite all the flaws you're all in, in coming back. Or we're just out for the count.

  the previous post was from 2 chronicles oddly I misread for some reason...but somehow it's what God has been saying to me over and over again in psalms, proverbs, habbakuk, james and 1 peter....odd, but i love how God does it.

      1 Chronicles 14 [6.14.2012]

  "All the assembly agreed to do so, for the thing was right in the eyes of all the people."

  Unity within the church and the body of Christ isn't limited to simply the NT. It's not a radically new idea as much as it is a radical idea that churches are pursuing. There's a greater unity and oneness when God is the ultimate treasure and goal. And there's no reason to put something temporary or lasting/having value only in this lifetime over the one who created us all.

      1 Chronicles 15 [6.15.2012]

  [Undignified Dancing]

  This whole time the passage screamed to me...when's the last time I was this excited about God? And whens the last time I saw people of God unite to do something so grand. When was worship this exciting. It's a lingering thought of mine.

      1 Chronicles 16 [6.16.2012]

  [Remembrance to Worship]

  It took one man to remember God and recount God's goodness for everyone to yell Amen and worship with him. Often times we don't remember God. In fact, it might come to the fact that we have nothing to remember about God. But if we have nothing to remember, then it must mean that we have not encountered God. I pray that we all continue to seek him more and more. So that we can remember him. And really worship him. In my life, when I look back, i'm foolish and immature and can't do anything with him. And now I realize that it was always God in my life. And I Remember him today.

        1 Chronicles 17 [6.17.2012]

  [Prayerful Attitude in Humility]

  Prayer can only come from humility and revelation brought by God. I hope God can renew my mind and create a new heart with that kind of humility. And I hope that he will reveal such great things that I can't help but pray with absolute surrender. 

  David's Prayer

16 Then King David went in and sat before the Lord and said, “Who am I, OLord God, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far? 17 And this was a small thing in your eyes, O God. You have also spoken of your servant's house for a great while to come, and have shown me future generations,[a] O Lord God! 18 And what more can David say to you for honoring your servant? For you know your servant. 19  For your servant's sake, O Lord, and according to your own heart, you have done all this greatness, in making known all these great things. 20 There is none like you, O Lord, and there is no God besides you, according to all that we have heard with our ears.21 And who is like your people Israel, the one[b] nation on earth whom God went to redeem to be his people, making for yourself a name for great and awesome things, in driving out nations before your people whom you redeemed from Egypt? 22 And you made your people Israel to be your people forever, and you, O Lord, became their God. 23 And now, O Lord, let the word that you have spoken concerning your servant and concerning his house be established forever, and do as you have spoken, 24 and your name will be established and magnified forever, saying, ‘The Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, is Israel's God,’ and the house of your servant David will be established before you. 25 For you, my God, have revealed to your servant that you will build a house for him. Therefore your servant has found courage to pray before you. 26 And now, OLord, you are God, and you have promised this good thing to your servant.27 Now you have been pleased to bless the house of your servant, that it may continue forever before you, for it is you, O Lord, who have blessed, and it is blessed forever.

      1 Chronicles 18 [6.18.2012]

  [Complete Dependence on God]

  Complete dependence on God is often frowned upon since people often seek to be independent and self-sustaining. But, if you really think about it...it's not a cop out when it comes to relying on God. Yes, often times, some christians, say they depend on God and do nothing. But at the same time there are many christians who receive blessing after blessing and grace after grace and take the credit for themselves. We've become a people who do things because we "deserve it".

  Yet, if God is the one who created us. And God is the only perfect being, wouldn't it be logical to trust in him? But something in our heart deters us from doing so. Which is why it is amazing when King David dedicated to the LORD all that he had received from battle. David went into numerous wars and all the treasure he found in battle was given back to God. Why? Because David understood his relationship with God. in the end it says the LORD gave victory to David wherever he went. Do we believe that God is with us and for us? Because then we would depend on him and give him all that he truly deserves. 

      1 Chronicles 19 [6.19.2012]

  [The Importance of Community]

  Often times we have a conviction in our hearts or hear a word of encouragement and it seems as though God is real and everything makes sense. Yet, if we begin to flirt with the idea for too long we ultimately forget it. Or if we surround ourselves with skeptical friends they discourage us and we lose hope. We are left without conviction and left with apathy.  I feel like this is the case of Hanun who surrounded himself with men who told him lies about David. In the end, he believed his men and rejected David starting a war that he lost in the end.

  On the other hand, Joab was able to find accountability and faith in Abishai and the men of Israel. Even when they were surrounded front and back by the Ammonites and Syrians, Joab had the courage and faith to fight. Knowing that Abishai and his men would help him. And being fully convicted that God would deliver them.

  So the end question is, what are we convicted of? (or losing conviction of?) and who are we surrounding ourselves with? Or what ideas are we surrounding ourselves with?

      1 Chronicles 20 [6.20.2012]

  [Deception]

  As I mirrored this passage with 1 Samuel 11, I couldn't help noticing that the time was spring time, the time when King's went to war. Yet, David stayed back and let Joab do his thing. 

  And although in Chronicles the sin is hidden, the truth is, this is when David sins and takes Bethsheba. So many times we sin when we're not doing something we're suppose to be doing. Basically flirting with the gray line on some sort of issue. Or lounging around doing nothing during summer time. Although we can try to hide the truth it will all show in the end. So let's continue to fight the good fight during the summer and not grow weary, apathetic, or lazy!

      1 Chronicles 21 [6.21.2012]

  [Sin-->Repentance-->Responsibility]

  Our sin is often on our shoulders. Its the decision that we make, which says, "I know better than God; this will better suit me today; this is the greatest benefit that I could have." And that's exactly what David does. He decides to boast in himself and see how many abled men he has, rather than trusting God to win his victory. And when God sees that David is counting his talents, gifts, treasures he strikes David with a plague.

  Yet, at that moment David realized and repented and requested of God's wrath over the wrath brought by men? Why because even when it seems as though God is "against" us, he has deep mercy and continues to refine us. Instead of completely destroying everything God becomes merciful. But, David did understand the idea of mercy and repentance. So many times when we sin, we cower away and hide. We think we're no longer good enough. Or we do the complete opposite and take the full blame off our shoulders. David does neither or. Instead he takes the full blame and he understands that God's mercy is more than sufficient which is why he is willing to pay the price (in offering the bull). 

  But we can only understand this balance of mercy/grace and responsibility only if we truly fear God and see how awesome he is. If he is the creator of the universe it makes sense. If he is not that we have no responsibility. And if he is simply our slave, servant, God then we only have mercy and grace and don't see the fullness of God. 

  I pray that I won't be so near-sighted.

      1 Chronicles 22 [6.22.2012]

  [~]

  All of a sudden it seems as though Chronicles is getting dense as David interacts with God. Yet of all the messages that could be said from God's purpose to faithfulness to God's glory, what strikes me the most was v.5

  " David said, "Solomon my son is young and inexperienced, and the house that is to be built for the LORD must be exceedingly magnificent, of fame and glory throughout all lands. I will therefore make preparation for it."

  That verse alone points to so many different things but what stood out was that Solomon was inexperienced and young. And he needed David's help in preparation. And that the glory of God is far beyond our comprehension. The wisest man on earth technically was just called inexperienced...amazing. There's so much I don't know, making me a fool intoxicated by God's grace.

      1 Chronicles 23 [6.23.2012]

  [Set Apart]

  Wouldn't it be amazing for God to specifically set us apart to carry out his duty and serve him? Often times, this doesn't seem enticing since it feels like we're being trapped. Yet, in the building of the temple these roles/positions use to be held in high esteem. But, today, it seems like it's not worth it. But serving God and hearing his word and remaining set apart will allow us to serve him and deeply commune with him.

      1 Chronicles 24 [6.24.2012]

  [Duties]

  "David organized them according to the appointed duties in their service" v.3

"These had as their appointed duty in their service to come into the house of the LORD according to the procedure established for them by Aaron their father, as the LORD God of Israel had commanded him." v.19

  Where is the heart of servitude and the eye to see the duties in this world that are beyond our desires?

We all have a greater purpose that isn't limited to money, family, and ourselves. We can impact eternity today.

      1 Chronicles 25 [6.25.2012]

  [Duties II]

  Going along with what Danny said, about age having no determining factor when serving God, I thought it would be appropriate to look at the verse right before it.

  v.7 "The number of them along with their brothers, who were trained in singing to the LORD, all who were skillful, was 288."

  Although age may not be a determining factor willingness and obedience is. The importance to serving God isn't how awesome you are, how old you are, or what kind of status you have. But it's about seeing God's purpose and his duty set aside for you. And the question that remains is, "Are you willing?". See, if we are willing then God can do greater things with our lives then we ever could. 

      1 Chronicles 26 [6.26.2012]

  [Serving]

  As I keep reading chronicles the message that keeps ringing in my head is...

1) Are we serving God to our potential/whole heartedly?

2) Are we serving others fully?

  Are we really caring and serving and seeking to be a part of his work/ministry? Or are we serving ourselves?

      1 Chronicles 27 [6.27.2012]

  [Counting]

  In 1 Chronicles 21 David counts the men and God ends up killing 70,000 people in order to show that the men that David boast in is God's men. And that God could always take them away. 

  Often times it takes moments of suffering for us to realize what we take for granted. And often times it redirects us back to God and seeing how sovereign he is. The point of suffering isn't to torture us or for God to take out his anger on us, the point of suffering is God's hope of having us with him in eternity rather than falling short today and the rest of eternity.

  I won't be able to send out QT's until I come back from AMI Revolution but I know Danny will continue to send it out:D

      1 Chronicles 28 [6.28.2012]

1 Chronicles 29 [6.29.2012]