Archive for the ‘Book of Matthew’ Category

Jesus Teaches about Lust

Posted: October 24, 2020 in Book of Matthew, Mathew
Tags:
0

  Mathews 6:27-28  You have heard the commandment that says, ‘You must not commit adultery.’ 28But I say, anyone who even looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

The Old Testament law said that it is wrong for a person to have sex with someone other than his or her spouse (Exodus 20: 14). But Jesus said that the desire to have sex with someone other than your spouse is mental adultery and thus sin. Jesus emphasized that if the act is wrong, then so is the intention. To be faithful to your spouse with your body but not your mind is to break the trust so vital to a strong marriage. Jesus is not condemning natural interest in the opposite sex or even healthy sexual desire but the deliberate and repeated filling of one’s mind with fantasies that would be evil if acted out.

Some think that if lustful thoughts are sin, why shouldn’t a person go ahead and do the lustful actions, too?

Acting out sinful desires is harmful in several ways: (1) It causes people to excuse sin rather than to stop sinning; (2) it destroys marriages; (3) it is deliberate rebellion against God’s Word; (4) it always hurts someone else in addition to the sinner. Sinful actions are more dangerous than sinful desires, and that is why desires should not be acted out. Nevertheless, sinful desires are just as damaging to obedience. Left unchecked, wrong desires will result in wrong actions and turn people away from God.

Causing and bringing out Sin in Others.

Posted: October 24, 2020 in 1 Corinthians, Book of Matthew, Mark, Proverbs 26, Romans
Tags: ,
0

The Steve Harvey morning show plays pranks on people in the morning with nephew Tommy portraying a fictitious person. Some of these are Church members that by being prank or lied too, it brings out the worse in them, to find out later it was a joke. As much as we laugh and joke about, it is not of God and He do not like.  This goes for social media and anything else that a person uses to have you sinning against God.   

Proverbs 26:18-19 Just as damaging as a madman shooting a deadly weapon 19is someone who lies to a friend and then says, “I was only joking.”

He that sins in prank, must repent in serious, or his sin will be his ruin.

Mark 9:42 But if you cause one of these little ones who trusts in me to fall into sin, it would be better for you to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone hung around your neck.

This caution against harming little ones in the faith applies both to what we do individually as teachers and examples and to what we allow to fester in our Christian fellowship. Our thoughts and actions must be motivated by love (1   Corinthians 13), and we must be careful about judging others (Matthew 7: 1-5; Romans 14: 1– 15: 4). However, we also have a responsibility to confront flagrant sin within the church (1   Corinthians 5: 12-13).

Treading Water

Posted: January 13, 2019 in Battle Focus, Battle of the Mind, Beliefs, Bible, Book of Matthew, Personal Growth, Uncategorized
Tags: ,
0

2019, Time to Stop Treading and Flapping in the water waves of difficult circumstances.
I know we all know the story of Jesus walking on the water and telling Peter to come out the boat and join him, but let’s look at it again.
Matthew 14:22-33 22Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. 23After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, 24and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it. 25Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. 26When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear.
27But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”
28“Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”
29“Come,” he said.
Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”
31Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”
32And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. 33Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

Peter ask Jesus to tell him to come to him as he wants all of us to come to Him. Peter kept his eyes on Jesus, but when he took his eyes off of Him and focused on the waves around him, he started to sink. As soon as he started to sink, he cried out, Lord save me, and Jesus Hand was right there. Now remember, when Jesus pulled him out of the water, He said “You of little faith”. Now remember, what I said in a Facebook post. If Jesus told Peter he had little faith, but with that little faith allowed him to walk on water, why are some of us still treading and flapping in the water?

I had to tread water for a certain period of time when I took the Swim Test in the Army. Some of you can relate. I was sweating in the pool, and when I got tired, I sank to get some rest and came back up and start treading and flapping in the water again. How long have some of us been flapping and treading water with the waves of difficult circumstances around us without looking to Jesus for help. Take the little faith, big faith or whatever level of faith you have and keep that focus on the Power of Jesus rather than on our own inadequacies. Stop using that flimsy excuse, “I need to have more faith”. Sometimes I hear Christians tell other, that you need more faith.

As soon as the storms of life take our focus on the Lord, cry out to Him like Peter. JESUS SAVE ME! And his hand will be right there for you. The only thing we need to do is take his hand. Do we doubt, yes, does our faith falter, yes and your lying if you say it don’t.

Lets Bring Home: Although we start out with good intentions, sometimes our faith falters. This doesn’t necessarily mean we have failed. When Peter’s faith faltered, he reached out to Christ, the only one who could help. He was afraid, but he still looked to Christ. When you are apprehensive about the troubles around you and doubt Christ’s presence or ability to help, remember that he is always with you and is the only one who can really help, so take the hand of God like Peter did and don’t try to work it out on your own. STOP TREADING AND FLAPPING IN THE WATER AND TAKE THE HAND OF GOD WHO IS THERE TO SAVE YOU.

Spiritual Training (Falling in Love with Jesus) Matthews 1:18-24

Posted: January 23, 2017 in Bible Study, Book of Matthew, Chapter 1:18-24, Uncategorized
0

Under Gods Command (Falling in Love with Jesus)

Matthew Chapter 1:18-24    

18This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. 19Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.

     20But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dreams and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, t because he will save his people from their sins.”

     22All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23“The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” w (which means “God with us”).

     24When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. 25But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.

Jewish marriage involved three basic steps. First, the two families agreed to the union. Second, a public announcement was made. At this point, the couple was “pledged.” This was similar to engagement today except that their relationship could be broken only through death or divorce (even though sexual relations were not yet permitted). Third, the couple was married and began living together. Because Mary and Joseph were engaged, Mary’s apparent unfaithfulness carried a severe social stigma. According to Jewish civil law, Joseph had a right to divorce her, and the Jewish authorities could have had her stoned to death (Deuteronomy 22:23-24).

1:18 Why is the Virgin Birth important to the Christian faith? Jesus Christ, God’s Son, had to be free from the sinful nature passed on to all other human beings by Adam. Because Jesus was born of a woman, he was a human being; but as the Son of God, Jesus was born without any trace of human sin. Jesus is both fully human and fully divine.

Because Jesus lived as a man, we know that he fully understands our experiences and struggles (Hebrews 4:15-16). Because he is God, he has the power and authority to deliver us from sin (Colossians 2:13-15). We can tell Jesus all our thoughts, feelings, and needs. He has been where we are now, and he has the ability to help.

Joseph was faced with a difficult choice after discovering that Mary was pregnant. Perhaps Joseph thought he had only two options: divorce Mary quietly or have her stoned. But God provided a third option—marry her (1:20-23). In view of the circumstances, this had not occurred to Joseph. But God often shows us that there are more options available than we think. Although Joseph seemed to be doing the right thing by breaking the engagement, only God’s guidance helped him make the best decision. But that did not make it an easy decision. Consenting to marry Mary surely cast doubt on his own innocence regarding the pregnancy, as well as leaving them both with a social stigma they would carry for the rest of their lives. Yet Joseph chose to obey the angel’s command (1:24). When our decisions affect the lives of others, we must always seek God’s wisdom and then be willing to follow through no matter how difficult it may be.

The conception and birth of Jesus Christ are supernatural events beyond human logic or reasoning. Because of this, God sent angels to help certain people understand the significance of what was happening (see 2:13, 19; Luke 1:11, 26; 2:9).

Angels are spiritual beings created by God who help carry out his work on earth. They bring God’s messages to people (Luke 1:26), protect God’s people (Daniel 6:22), offer encouragement (Genesis 16:7-16), give guidance (Exodus 14:19), carry out punishment (2 Samuel 24:16), patrol the earth (Zechariah 1:9-14), and fight the forces of evil (2 Kings 6:16-18; Revelation 20:1-2). There are both good and bad angels (Revelation 12:7), but because bad angels are allied with the devil, or Satan, they have considerably less power and authority than good angels. Eventually the main role of angels will be to offer continuous praise to God (Revelation 7:11-12).

The angel declared to Joseph that Mary’s child was conceived by the Holy Spirit and would be a son. This reveals an important truth about Jesus—he is both God and human. The infinite, unlimited God took on the limitations of humanity so he could live and die for the salvation of all who would believe in him.

Jesus means “the LORD saves.” Jesus came to earth to save us because we can’t save ourselves from sin and its consequences. No matter how good we are, we can’t eliminate the sinful nature present in all of us. Only Jesus can do that. Jesus didn’t come to help people save themselves; he came to be their Savior from the power and penalty of sin. Thank Christ for his death on the cross for your sin, and then ask him to take control of your life. Your new life begins at that moment.

Jesus would fulfill the prophecy of Isaiah, for he would be “Immanuel” (“God with us”; see Isaiah 7:14). Jesus was God in the flesh; thus, God was literally among us, “with us.” Through the Holy Spirit, Christ is present today in the life of every believer. Perhaps not even Isaiah understood how far-reaching the meaning of Immanuel would be. 1:24 Joseph changed his plans quickly after learning that Mary had not been unfaithful to him (1:19). He obeyed God and proceeded with the marriage plans. Although others may have disapproved of his decision, Joseph went ahead with what he knew was right

Lets Bring it Home: Sometimes we avoid doing what is right because of what others might think. Like Joseph, we must choose to obey God rather than seek the approval of others.

Spiritual Training (Falling in Love with Jesus) Matthew 1:1-17

Posted: January 23, 2017 in Book of Matthew, Chapter 1:1-17, Falling in Love with Jesus, honor, Uncategorized
0

Falling in Love with Jesus

When we fall in love, we want to spend time with the object of our affection and willingly give our attention to the relationship. Falling in love with Jesus should be no different, but believers often hurry through Bible reading and prayer. The result is a superficial faith kept alive by habit rather than worship. To attain lasting intimacy, we must approach God with a sense of purpose and determination.

Purpose. “Now set your heart and your soul to seek the lord your God,” King David advised the leaders of Israel (1 Chron. 22:19). Believers must choose whether to pursue God or chase after idols. If we desire intimacy with Him, it is necessary for us to approach the spiritual disciplines purposefully. Before opening Scripture, ask the Lord what He wants to say to you. Pray to understand His ways—He loves answering that request. And enter church with the intention of taking home a new truth from the Lord.

Determination. “Indeed, my spirit within me seeks You diligently,” Isaiah told Yahweh (Isa. 26:9). But even when we do not feel like putting time into our relationship with Christ, we must determine to do so. A revelation from God won’t come every day, but a believer need not despair. Those who diligently seek the Savior experience His presence frequently in their worship.

Getting to know Jesus brings pure joy into a believer’s life. However, we must be willing to offer Him prime time, not our leftover minutes. Giving God attention and spending time with Him is one way to show Him we love Him. God gives us His best; we should put forth no less in return.

When I first gave my life to Christ, I was standing up in Church with all the rest saying I love you Lord.  After a while, I was not feeling Jesus.  So one day I told the Lord that I really don’t love you, but help me to get to know you better so I can’t truly Love you.  I always knew He existed, but I was just not feeling Jesus. 

God lead me to read the 4 books of the Gospel to get to know His Son.  That is when I started to Fall in Love with Jesus.  So, my next study is the Book of Mathew.  I need to take my Love for Jesus deeper and rekindle my Love for Him. 

Mathews 1:1-6

Introduction to Mathew:  AS the motorcade slowly winds through the city, thousands pack the sidewalks hoping to catch a glimpse. Marching bands with great fanfare announce the arrival, and protective agents scan the crowd and run alongside the limousine. Pomp, ceremony, protocol—modern symbols of position and evidences of importance—herald the arrival of a head of state. Whether they are leaders by birth or election, we honor and respect them.

The Jews waited for a leader who had been promised centuries before by prophets. They believed that this leader—the Messiah (“anointed one”)—would rescue them from their Roman oppressors and establish a new kingdom. As their king, he would rule the world with justice. Many Jews, however, overlooked prophecies that also spoke of this king as a suffering servant who would be rejected and killed. It is no wonder, then, that few recognized Jesus as the Messiah. How could this humble carpenter’s son from Nazareth be their king? But Jesus was and is the King of all the earth!

Matthew (Levi) was one of Jesus’ 12 disciples. Once he was a despised tax collector, but his life was changed by this man from Galilee. Matthew wrote this Gospel to his fellow Jews to prove that Jesus is the Messiah and to explain God’s Kingdom.

Matthew begins his account by giving Jesus’ genealogy. He then tells of Jesus’ birth and early years, including the family’s escape to Egypt from the murderous Herod and their return to Nazareth. Following Jesus’ baptism by John (3:16-17) and his defeat of Satan in the wilderness, Jesus began his public ministry by calling his first disciples and giving the Sermon on the Mount (chapters 5–7). Matthew shows Christ’s authority by reporting his miracles of healing the sick and the demon-possessed, and even raising the dead.     Despite opposition from the Pharisees and others in the religious establishment (chapters 12–15), Jesus continued to teach concerning the Kingdom of Heaven (chapters 16–20). During this time, Jesus spoke with his disciples about his imminent death and resurrection (16:21) and revealed his true identity to Peter, James, and John (17:1–5). Near the end of his ministry, Jesus entered Jerusalem in a triumphant procession (21:1-11). But soon opposition mounted, and Jesus knew that his death was near. So he taught his disciples about the future—what they could expect before his return (chapter 24) and how to live until then (chapter 25).

In Matthew’s finale (chapters 26–28), he focuses on Jesus’ final days on earth—the Last Supper, his prayer in Gethsemane, the betrayal by Judas, the flight of the disciples, Peter’s denial, the trials before Caiaphas and Pilate, Jesus’ final words on the cross, and his burial in a borrowed tomb. But the story does not end there, for the Messiah rose from the dead—conquering death and then telling his followers to continue his work by making disciples in all nations.

As you read this Gospel, listen to Matthew’s clear message: Jesus is the Christ, the King of kings and Lord of lords. Celebrate his victory over evil and death, and make Jesus the Lord of your life.

Under Gods Command

Mathews 1:1-6

    1This is the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah the son of David, the son of Abraham:  2Abraham was the father of Isaac,

     Isaac the father of Jacob,

     Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers,

    3Judah the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar,

     Perez the father of Hezron,

     Hezron the father of Ram,

    4Ram the father of Amminadab,

     Amminadab the father of Nahshon,

     Nahshon the father of Salmon,

    5Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab,

    Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth,

     Obed the father of Jesse,

    6and Jesse the father of King David.

   David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah’s wife,

   7Solomon the father of Rehoboam,

    Rehoboam the father of Abijah,

     Abijah the father of Asa,

    8Asa the father of Jehoshaphat,

     Jehoshaphat the father of Jehoram,

     Jehoram the father of Uzziah,

    9Uzziah the father of Jotham,

     Jotham the father of Ahaz,

     Ahaz the father of Hezekiah,

   10Hezekiah the father of Manasseh,

     Manasseh the father of Amon,

     Amon the father of Josiah,

   11and Josiah the father of Jeconiah and his brothers at the time of the exile to Babylon.

   12After the exile to Babylon:

     Jeconiah was the father of Shealtiel,

     Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel,

   13Zerubbabel the father of Abihud,

     Abihud the father of Eliakim,

     Eliakim the father of Azor,

   14Azor the father of Zadok,

     Zadok the father of Akim,

     Akim the father of Elihud,

   15Elihud the father of Eleazar,

     Eleazar the father of Matthan,

     Matthan the father of Jacob,

   16and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, and Mary was the mother of Jesus who is called the Messiah.

     17Thus there were fourteen generations in all from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to the Messiah.

In the first 17 verses we meet 46 people whose lifetimes span 2,000 years. All were ancestors of Jesus, but they varied considerably in personality, spirituality, and experience. Some were heroes of faith—like Abraham, Isaac, Ruth, and David. Some had shady reputations—like Rahab and Tamar. Many were very ordinary—like Hezron, Ram, Nahshon, and Akim. And others were evil—like Manasseh and Abijah. God’s work in history is not limited by human failures or sins, and he works through ordinary people. Just as God used all kinds of people to bring his Son into the world, he uses all kinds today to accomplish his will. And God wants to use you.

Because Mary was a virgin when she became pregnant, Matthew lists Joseph only as the husband of Mary, not the father of Jesus. Matthew’s genealogy gives Jesus’ legal (or royal) lineage through Joseph. Mary’s ancestral line is recorded in Luke 3:23-38. Both Mary and Joseph were direct descendants of David.     Matthew traced the genealogy back to Abraham, while Luke traced it back to Adam. Matthew wrote to the Jews, so Jesus was shown as a descendant of their father, Abraham. Luke wrote to the Gentiles, so he emphasized Jesus as the Savior of all people. 1:17 Matthew breaks Israel’s history into three sets of 14 generations, but there were probably more generations than those listed here. Genealogies often compressed history, meaning that not every generation of ancestors was specifically listed. Thus, the phrase “the father of” can also be translated “the ancestor of.”

Matthew’s inclusion of four particular women (Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and Bathsheba—here called “Uriah’s wife”) reveals his concern to do more than relay historical data. These women raise both ethnic and ethical questions. At least two of them were not Israelites by birth and all four of them had reputations that could have made them unmentionable in an ancestral tree. Yet this was the line into which God’s Son was born. Jesus’ genealogy makes it clear, not that there were a few disreputable people in his family, but that all of them were sinners.

Lets Bring it Home: God sent his Son as Savior of all people—Jews, Gentiles, men, and women. No matter what the sins of the people, God’s plan was never thwarted. It continues to unfold. That plan includes us.

Proverbs 19:20 Wisdom for the Soul

Posted: July 19, 2012 in Acceptance, Battle of the Mind, Beliefs, better than life, Bible Study, Book of Matthew, business pratices, Encourgement, Inspiration, Personal Growth, Proverbs, Proverbs 20, Spiritual Training, trust in the Lord with all your heart, Uncategorized, Under Gods Command
Tags: , , , , ,
0

Under Gods Command

Proverbs 19:20 Listen to advice and accept instruction and in the end you will be wise. 

Are you wiser today than last year? Than ten years ago? These are important questions to answer. How wise will you be later in life? A godly person will greatly desire to grow in wisdom. And the way to increase wisdom is easy – you need to hear the counsel of wise people and accept their teaching. You need to appreciate and apply instruction from others.

Today is your opportunity to change your latter end. Will you be an older wise man or women, sought by family and others for wise advice? Or will you be an old fool, more a burden than a blessing? What you do today determines what you are tomorrow! You are not too young, and you are not too old. Consider your latter end, and receive instruction today!

Spiritual Training 09 April 2012

Posted: April 9, 2012 in Acceptance, Bible Study, Book of Matthew, Encourgement, Inspiration, Personal Growth, Spiritual Training, trust in the Lord with all your heart, Uncategorized, Under Gods Command
Tags: , , , , ,
0

Under Gods Command
This goes out to all the people who place scriptural base statements on the Internet to include myself, others and Preachers / Teachers of Gods Word.

Some of us are experts at telling others what to do, but they missed the central point of God’s law’s themselves, Jesus made it clear, however, that obeying God’s law is more important than explaining it. It’s much easier to study God’s laws and tell others to obey them than to put them into practice. How are we doing at obeying God ourselves?

Matthew 5:19-20 Anyone who breaks 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 practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the Kingdom of heaven. For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the Kingdom of heaven.

The Pharisees were demanding and scrupulous in their attempts to follow their laws. So how could Jesus reasonably call us to a greater righteousness then theirs? The Pharisees weakness was that they were content to obey the laws outwardly without allowing God to change their hearts (or attitudes). They looked spiritual as some of us do on the Internet, but they were far from the Kingdom of God. God judges our hearts as well as our deeds, for it is in the heart that our real allegiance lies.

Jesus was saying that his listeners needed a different kind of righteousness altogether (love and obedience), not just a more intense version of the Pharisees’ righteousness (legal compliance). Our righteousness must

1. Come from what God does in us, not what we can do by ourselves
2. Be God-centered, not self-centered
3. Be based on reverence for God, not approval from people
4. Go beyond keeping the law to living by the principles behind the law.

We should be just as concerned about our attitudes that people don’t see as about our actions that are seen by all.