Thoughts From the Bible

  Read Matthew 10:16-23 -  This section in my Bible is titled, “Persecution Will Come.” Jesus’ message was revolutionary at the time and religious leaders were threatened by the numbers of people following Jesus. Jesus knew the disciples needed to help spread the message, but He also knew they would be ridiculed and persecuted for their belief and their message. Jesus told His disciples in verse 16, “ Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.”   We have heard this teaching before but I feel a renewed need to be alert and looking for those who want to see Christians fail and therefore hurt the message of Jesus Christ. We see this happen in the news when a well known Christian falls and the excessive attention it gets and resulting ridicule. I feel I need to be prudent in my actions and not compromise my testimony but be alert to those wanting to see another Christian fail.

Matthew 10: 5-15 - Jesus knew how important it was the church leaders be aware of who He was. In sending the disciples out, He knew the disciples would learn from the experience, but He also knew the church leaders of the time were too stuck in their rituals and the power they held with the people.  Jesus gave the disciples clear instructions in verses 7 and 8, “ And proclaim as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without pay; give without pay.”   I know there are times when there are aspects of my salvation that I take for granted. I need to challenge myself to truly consider the gift I have and not be like the religious leaders of Jesus’ day and be more concerned about the trappings of Christianity and not my relationship with Jesus Christ.

  Read Matthew 10: 1-4 Jesus knew the power of being organized. He knew Israel needed to know who He was and He gave His disciples authority in the spiritual world the religious leaders had never seen. Jesus also knew His disciples needed to know what they were capable of because He knew He would not always be with them. Matthew 10:1 says, " 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." Jesus knows what His grand plan is and He knows where we fit into that plan. We need to constantly be listening and preparing ourselves to be ready to move in the direction God needs us to go not necessarily where we want to go. 

Read Matthew 9: 35-38 Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest."" Matthew 9: 37-38 We are living in a time when there are more Christian missionaries in the world than ever before. Many denominations and other Christian organizations are supporting missionaries in places some never considered. That is something Jesus directed us to consistently pray about. We have obligations to support those in full time service to God and that includes prayer for these people. I need to be more diligent in knowing this should be always on my prayer list and to pray for yet more people to see this as a call on their lives.

Read Matthew 9:26-34 -  We read in this passage about more miracles Jesus performed. The miracles were definitely getting people’s attention but was that the ultimate goal of Jesus performing the miracles. In verses 28 through 31 we read this, “ When He entered the house, the blind men came to Him and Jesus said to them, “Do you believe I am able to do this?” They said to Him, “Yes, Lord.” Then He touched their eyes saying, “According to your faith be it done  to you.” And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them, “See  that no one knows about it.” But they went away and spread His fame through all that district.”   I still think Jesus wanted the people to believe in Him as the Son of God and because of that, lives could be made better. Whether through healing, strength or peace in our souls, Jesus as the visible hand of God wanted people to believe in Him. As I struggle with the events of life, I need to know Jesus Christ will meet those needs. I have t...

Read Matthew 9 : 18-25-  Verses 20 through 23 say this, “ And behold a woman who had suffered from a  discharge of  blood for twelve years came up behind Him and touched fringe of His 0 garment, for she said to  herself,‘If I only touch His garment, I will be made well.’ And  instantly the woman was made  well.”  Is this a situation of having enough faith to be physically healed or is this a situation of  having faith in Jesus Christ and who He is? There are those who  will quickly tie a quantity of  faith to physical healings. We need to pray for  healing when there is that need but we need to  know the priority is the faith we  need in continually knowing who Jesus Christ is. Some people  need to see the  miraculous but we need to have the faith in who Jesus is in the everyday  events  of life to see Jesus working around us, in us, and through us.  

Read Matthew 9:14-17 -  Jesus was the master of using stories to get His point across to people. In verses 14 and 15, Jesus says this, “ Then the disciples of John came to Him saying, ‘Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?’ And Jesus said, to them, ‘Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast.”   Jesus was still working to get His followers to fully understand who He is. As I consider all of the earthly requests I have for Jesus, I need to make sure I don’t lose my focus and remember the fact I am praying to the God of the universe. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, we have Him with us always. Through deaths, through trauma, He is with us.

  Read Matthew 9:9-13-  As Christians, we sometimes live our lives in a protective bubble with like minded others. Jesus had no limitations about who He would talk with. His mission was to bring people to a relationship with God. This made some people very uncomfortable, and He taught them in verses 12 and 13, “But when he heard it, He said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means; ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”  Jesus wants us to develop a heart of mercy for others. He wants us actively looking around us to see who are in need and do what we can to meet those needs. Our views need to be broader than the comfortable circles around us. I know I need to be more bold in searching for others in need and then work to help.

Read Matthew 9: 1-8-  Jesus’ ministry had begun and He had peoples’ attention and this was an opportunity for people to better understand exactly who He was. Verses 5 and 6 says, ‘ For which is easier , to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins, He then said to the paralytic, “Rise, pick up your bed and go home.’   The paralytic man believed in who Jesus was therefore not only were his sins forgiven but he was healed in the power of Jesus’ word. I think we need to be careful not to necessarily associate healing and salvation at this point. We do not know what Jesus’ plan is for everyone. We do not know why but not everyone is healed. We do know everyone who believes will be saved.

Read Matthew 8: 22- 27- This is a common passage many preachers like to talk about when it comes to life’s trials.  In verses 26 and 27 Jesus said this, ‘And He said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Then He rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. And the men marveled, saying, “What sor t of man is this, that even winds and sea obey Him.”’ I ask myself this question today, “How little is my faith?” The disciples asked why sort of man is this . I need to ask myself what sort of man is this ?   I need to be asking how big is my God? When life’s issues arise, I need to realize Jesus Christ is much bigger than my issues. I need to believe Jesus Christ will be helping me through these issues and I need to allow His peace to work through me in those situations. We do not fully realize how big our God is.    

Read Matthew 8: 28- 34- We need to be careful we do not find ourselves in situations where we push God away from us. Jesus did the miraculous when he cast demons out of two men. The demons knew who they were facing at that point and begged for a way to get away from Jesus . The people obviously had not seen anything this dramatic before where the pigs who found themselves posses sed by the demons ran squealing off a nearby cliff. The people did not know how to react. The people ran, no differently than the demon-possessed p igs. In verse 34, ‘And behold, all the city came out to meet Jesus, and when they saw Him, they begged Him to leave their region.’ Those people did not know who Jesus was. They decided they did not want to know who Jesus was. Fear controlled them. We need to know God will do great things in our lives and we need to be ready for those times, not run a nd hide from the hand of God.

Read Matthew 8: 18- 21- Jesus is making a point in this short, three verse passage. In verse 21 Jesus says, ‘Another of the disciples said to Him, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” And Jesus said to him, “Follow me, and leave the dead to bury their own dead.”’ Jesus found a way in that situation to make a point about dedication to Him. Jesus wants us to consider Him and His plan in our lives before we consider other aspects of things that may be swirling around us. I think He was trying to cultivate a mindset and a way of life, not necessarily telling the person to forget about his family. I also have to wonder if Jesus was not working in this situation to get people to see that societal traditions are not what is most important. Many people feel they must meet so many expectations. Jesus’ expectation was to consider Him in their lives first before they approach the events of the day.  

Read Matthew 8: 14- 17- Why did Jesus heal people? Why did Jesus cast out demons from people? Why did Jesus perform miracles? There were multiple reasons why Jesus did the things He did but there seemed t o be a couple of overriding reason s for me.  He was acting to make life better for those who believed in Him and followed Him.   He was also there to show the accuracy of the scriptures as is noted in in verse 17, ‘This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah; “He took our illnesses and bore our diseases.”’   Jesus knew we would have the scriptures to give us direction in our lives, and He knew we needed to know there were no limits to what Jesus would do for us. There is peace that comes from knowing Jesus Christ is still loving us and is concerned about how we are today in our everyday lives, and He is still concerned about our spiritual lives too. We cannot fathom the level of love Jesus has for us.

Read Matthew 8: 5- 13- This part of this passage of Matthew is telling me something that many are wanting to ignore today. So many people do not believe in Satan and do not believe in Hell as literal places. In this short passage, Jesus mentions a difference that will happen. In verses 11 and 12 Jesus says, “ I tell you, many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, while the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gn ashing of teeth. ” I understand why people want to ignore God’s judgment on our lives. That is a very negative thought, and we have many preaching “God is love and will never punish people ”. That is not what Jesus is pointing to in this passage. There will be a difference, and we need to understand that. God desires we all accept His Son, but humans do have a choice whether to follow Jesus or not.

Read Matthew 8: 5- 10- This is Part One of a two part thought about this passage in Matthew. This situ ation is there to teach us about two things. One is faith and one is spiritual authority. The centurion had obviously seen the work of Jesus and had heard His words. The centurion knew who Jesus was and understood the spiritual authority Jesus possessed . The centurion also knew Jesus only had to speak a word of healing and it would be done. His faith was great, and Jesus acknowledged this in verse 10 , ‘When Jesus heard this, he marveled and said to those who followed Him, “Truly, I tell you with no one in Israel have I found such faith.”’ My lesson for today is to work to make my faith like that of the centurion. I need to constantly recognize the power Jesus has and the spiritual authority I nee d to recognize in Him. This will help my faith be stronger in the situations life brings my way.  

Matthew 8:1- 4 - ‘ When He came down from the mountain, great crowds followed Him. And behold, a leper came to Him and knelt before Him, saying, “ Lord, if you will, you can make me clean ” . And Jesus stretched out His hand and touched Him, saying, “ I will; be clean. ” And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. And Jesus said to him, “ See that you say nothing to anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a proof to them.”’ In recent years, there has been conversation about whether we should be spending time reading and studying the Old Testament. Some have recommended we spend all our time reading and studying the New Testament because of various reasons bu t one is the emphasis on the words of Jesus and the lessons He taught about daily Christian living. I understand that conversation however, there is so much to learn about who God is and God’s person by reading the Old Testament and continuing to learn about who God is. Obviou...

Read Matthew 7: 24-   29- Jesus gave us in the Sermon on the Mount and the Beatitudes, so many of the foundational ways to live our lives that refl ect a good relationship with Him. We need to continue to build on this foundation each day we live, one lesson at a time, one thought at a time.  We must incorporate these lessons in how we live our lives each day.   He give s us the example of how important this foundation is in verse 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.” We need to never lose sight of our sanctification with Jesus comes on a daily basis and building on the foundation Jesus outlined and by what we read throughout the Bible.  Even if it is one verse a da y, one thought per day, we need to concentrate on those simple values and then pray to Jesus to help us live accordingly. His joy in this life will then follow.