30 days with Jesus (day 22) - Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead

Good morning all. Yes, God is good all the time, all the time God is good. BLESSED BEYOND BELIEF!!!

  Yes, we all know the story of Lazarus.  Yep, that's right, Jesus raised him from the dead.  But, do you KNOW THE REAL STORY?  As Paul Harvey used to say, now for the rest of the story.

  Jesus raising Lazarus is in John 11 so let's read it.  If you want to hear it click here at Audio John 11.  Okay, Mary, Martha, and Lazarus lived in Bethany, which was about 2 miles from Jerusalem. Jesus had been threatened here so they were close to danger, but far enough away to not attract attention.

  Now Lazarus' sisters, Mary and Martha, sent word to Jesus that Lazarus was ill. The Bible makes it clear who this is, it was Mary who anointed Jesus' feet.  When Jesus heard the news he said (verse 4) that Lazarus was not sick unto death but for the glory of God. Quote of Jesus:  This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby.

  Once he heard the news he stayed where he was for 2 more days.  Why do you think he did not just get up and go?  Notice above, sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God.  If Jesus rushed right in and healed Lazarus it may have been what all expected. But, Jesus is waiting. 

   Then He tells his disciples, after 2 days, let's go to Judea, and they plead NO, as it was too dangerous.  So how does Jesus respond?  In verses 9/10 Jesus says, " Are there not twelve hours in the day? If any man walk in the day, he stumbleth not, because he seeth the light of this world.
¹⁰ But if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth, because there is no light in him.
   What does this mean?  Well, to me, daylight is a symbol of the knowledge of God's will and for us to rely on HIS guidance; whereas night is the absence of knowledge and being self reliant. 

   Then Jesus says Lazarus sleeps and he must go wake him.  The disciples do not understand and respond that if Lazarus sleeps then he is going to be well.  Then Jesus plainly said:  Lazarus is dead!  and then HE said: ¹⁵ And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, to the intent ye may believe; nevertheless let us go unto him.

  Thomas, nicknamed Didymus (which means Twin) say let's go with Him.  Jesus could have healed him, but by waiting until Lazarus is dead Jesus can show HIS power over death. This is for the disciples and others to better understand who Jesus really is.

   They knew they may be danger here but they were loyal to Jesus.  We must remember that often there are unknown dangers in doing God's work.  We, here in the USA don't usually experience bodily danger, but we do experience danger in God's work and HIS word.  Example: abortion, then abortion in New York where full term babies can be killed.

   To get to Lazarus they would have to go 15 furlongs (a furlong is about 1/8 of a mile, so about 2 miles).  Lots of people were there comforting Mary and Martha. When Martha heard Jesus was coming she rushed to meet him.  Basically she said Lord, if you had been here my brother would still be alive.  Jesus' response: Thy brother shall rise again.  Martha replies she knows in the last days he will rise.

    Jesus says,  "

I am the resurrection, and the life:

he that believeth in me, though he were dead,

yet shall he live:

²⁶ And whosoever liveth and

believeth in me shall never die.

Believest thou this?

Martha has deep faith and she responds as Jesus would want us all to respond.  Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world. 

   She left and told her sister Mary, secretly, that Jesus was coming.  So, here we go  again.  Mary gets up and leaves, the people mourning with her thought she was going to the tomb of Lazarus and followed her.  What comes next is very emotional and teaches us that we have a God who cares, really cares.

    ³² Then when Mary was come where Jesus was, and saw him, she fell down at his feet, saying unto him, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.

  When Jesus saw Mary and the people with her HE groaned, twice verse 33 and again in verse 38 when HE knew what the people were thinking and saying.  However, verse 35 shows true compassion and love from our saviour as it says, "JESUS WEPT"

   Through these passages we see Jesus' emotion - compassion, sorrow, even frustration.  Jesus showed HIS deep emotions, and we, too, must not be afraid to show our true feelings to him. 

     Okay, as we proceed on.  Lazarus has been dead for 4 days.  This ensures the person is truly dead and beginning to smell.  Tombs were usually caves and the reason for the stone is to stop the odor from coming out.

   Jesus goes to the tomb and says take away the stone.  Martha says but if we do it is going to stink to high heavens.  Jesus says:  Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?

   They rolled the stone away, Jesus lifted HIS eyes to heaven and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me.
⁴² And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me.
⁴³ And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth.
  Now here is what is hard to understand.  Even when seeing the power of Jesus' deity, some refused to believe.  These eye-witnesses not only rejected Jesus, they plotted his murder (read on 45-57).  they were so hardened that they preferred to reject God's Son rather than admit that they were wrong.  We need to beware of pride, if it grows we can be lead into awful sin.
   You will run into this daily.  Be strong in the word and let God give you the guidance, relying on GOD, rather than self-reliance.  Thanks for reading. Love you all.
In Christ's Love and Grace
Johnny

30 days with Jesus (day 21) - Jesus teaches about himself - John 10:1-42

Good morning all. Tis a wonderful day to worship and praise God.  God is good all the time, all the time God is good.  COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS TODAY!!!!!

  Well, today we are in John 10 where Jesus begins talking in realms of sheep and the shepherd.  If you look at the beginning of this scripture Jesus begins with "verily verily" or "truly" or even "very truly" (depends on translation) you need to tune in and listen because HE is saying "I know firsthand" or "What I am about to say is the truth"- whatever version it is important.  Let us start with Jesus speaking

John10 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.

² But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.

³ To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.

⁴ And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.

⁵ And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.

  After Jesus spoke these words some did not understand what HE was saying. In these times, at night the sheep were gathered in an area- a cave, sheds, open areas with walls of rock or branches and the shepherd would sleep in the entrance.  This was to protect the animals from thieves or predators.  A shepherd cares for his flock just as Jesus cares for you and me.  This was spoken of in Ezekiel 34:23.  Again, some did not understand and Jesus, in verse 7-18 Jesus explains what HE just said.  Verse 7 begins with VERILY VERILY - meaning you better listen.

   Some people resent what Jesus is saying, that HE is GOD's son, that HE is the gate, the only means of access to God.  In these verses Jesus speaks of the thieves and robbers who come to take life; whereas Jesus gives life.  Verses 11-12 tells us a hired hand only tends the flock for money but the shepherd does it out of LOVE.  The shepherd is committed to the sheep, will protect and lay down his life for the sheep - THIS IS JESUS!!!

  Verse 16 Jesus is talking about you and me - the gentiles :

¹⁶ And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold:

them also I must bring,

and they shall hear my voice;

and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.

Jesus tells us in 17-18 that no one can take HIS life, but HE is willingly laying it down and will take it up again.  But why?  The end of 18: This commandment have I received of my Father.

  How is your commitment to Christ? To the Father in Heaven?  Once he said these things, as usual, the people around were divided some saying he is demon-possessed and others saying he is not.  Yes, Jesus stirred up conversation among them all.  His miracles should have removed the doubt of his claim to be God's son, but oh, the short memory of many.

  Verse 22 says it was now winter, making me believe time had passed since the above verses were recorded.  Now it is winter, Hanukkah, the Festival of Dedication and Jesus was in  the temple. Hanukkah was a cleansing of the temple which began under Judas Maccabeus in 164 B.C. after Antiochus Epiphanes had defiled it by sacrificing a pig on the altar of burnt offering.

  People gathered around Jesus and asked, " How long dost thou make us to doubt? If thou be the Christ,(Messiah) tell us plainly."  Here comes Jesus rebuttal: Starting with verse 25 Jesus said to them:

I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me.
²⁶ But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you.
²⁷ My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
²⁸ And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
²⁹ My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.
³⁰ I and my Father are one.

What Jesus said to them really angered many. Some as they did not wish to give up their leadership role, HE was a threat to their career, some did not wish to submit to HIS leadership, many doubted and believed HE could not be who HE says HE is.  And then blaspheme saying I and my Father are one.  So at this point some were picking up stones to kill him. In Leviticus 24:16 deals with blaspheme, the claim to be God.

  Once again, Jesus speaks in verse 34-36 and is referring to Psalm 82:6 where the Israelite rulers and judges are called "gods".  If God called them "gods" because they were agents of God's revelation and will, how could it be blasphemy for Jesus to call himself the Son of God?  Yes, Jesus is rebuking the religious leaders.

  They tried to arrest Him (Jesus) but HE got away and left them. He removed himself past the Jordan River, past where John was first baptizing, and stayed there a while.  Many saw His miracles and believed HE was the man of whom John the Baptist spoke and they followed him and believed.  Wow!  A great lesson today. I do hope you are enjoying these 30 days with Jesus.  I am gaining a lot from it.  Love you all.

In Christ's Love and Grace

Johnny

30 days with Jesus (day 20) - Jesus teaches how to love and pray

Good morning all. God is good all the time, all the time God is good.  BLESSED!!  Well, today is day 20 of the 30 days with Jesus.  Yes, some does overlap, but they all have a message.

  First we begin in Luke with the good Samaritan.  Here an expert (NIV)/ lawyer (KJV) comes to Jesus and asks what he must do to inherit eternal life.  Jesus, as he does so often, answers with a question saying, What is written in the law? how readest thou?  This expert responded with: Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.  

    The lawyer is quoting Deuteronomy 6:5 from the Old Testament.  Then he asks who is my neighbor.  At this point Jesus tells the parable of the Good Samaritan. You know the story, a Jewish man is mugged, left for dead and 3 men pass by.  The first, a priest crosses to the other side of the road.  The second, a Levite, came by, passed on the other side of the road as well.  Then along comes a Samaritan. 

   Now here is where we must understand that this mugged man, a Jew, is lying on the road and along comes a Samaritan.  At this time there was a deep hatred between the Jews and Samaritans.  The Jews viewed themselves as pure descendants of Abraham; the Samaritans were a mixed race from the Jews and the northern kingdom, and the Jews looked down on the Samaritans.  So, the least likely person to assist this mugged Jew would be a Samaritan.

    The first two, Jews, passed by, basically looking the other way. Out of sight out of mind.  The third, a Samaritan, showed compassion.  When Jesus asked the lawyer who was the neighbor, because of the mindset about Samaritans, he said the one who showed compassion.  Then Jesus said go and do likewise.

    This is what we all must remember, who is YOUR NEIGHBOR?  Everyone is someones son or daughter, father or mother, brother or sister, aunt or uncle, husband or wife, and being created by God are worth loving.  Yes, often it is hard, but we must love our neighbor.

  God loves us, he may disapprove of our actions, but HIS love fails not. We may disapprove of others actions, but we must still love them.

  Next comes what my wife and I call the Martha/Mary syndrome.  Here Jesus comes to a village and Martha invites Him into her home.  Mary sat at Jesus' feet listening, whereas Martha busied herself with preparing the meal.  Both ladies loved Jesus, but Martha was so busy preparing to serve Jesus that she actually neglected her guest.  How often in our Christian lives do we do this? We spend so much time doing things for Jesus that we fail to spend time with Him.  Often what we do is self-serving and not Christ-serving.

Hmmm!!  Think about this for a moment.  Hurts a little doesn't it? :)

  One of the disciples asked Jesus how to pray.  This we all should know, probably do, and we do it without thinking----THE LORD'S PRAYER!

When ye pray, say,

Our Father which art in heaven,

Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come.

Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.

³ Give us day by day our daily bread.

⁴ And forgive us our sins;

for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us.

And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.

Please notice the first sentence - first we are to praise God before making our requests.  If we praise God, realizing HE is our first priority, then we are getting into the right mindset.

  In verse 3 we must realize our whole life and existence should be centered around God as he provides our daily provisions.

  In verse 4 we ask forgiveness of our sins and we need to forgive others if they have sinned or wronged us.  God will deal with us as we deal with others in forgiveness.  Remember the evil servant who was forgiven his debt by the king, yet he went out and was ruthless with a fellow servant who owed him. Think about how much more the consequences will be when putting this all in a God realm.

  The end of verse 4, to me is also very important.  I need to ask Jesus, God, the Holy Spirit to deliver me from the dark side, the evil, move temptation away.  My wife and I were sitting with some friends celebrating a birthday when the conversation shifted to using vulgar words.  Soon, and very soon my wife departed, yet I remained longer.  Each vulgar word grated on my being, yet I did not leave as not wanting to offend.  Oops, I yielded to the wrong side, as the spiritual side of me was repeatedly offended.  My LORD was offended by me remaining, which is unfortunate, and my only saving grace is that I am forgiven by God.  A lesson learned.

  Verses 5-8 are important to me.  Some people highly revered by the 'Christian' society will tell you to ask once and don't bother God with repeating what your prayer is.  Wellllll, let's look at what Jesus says here:

⁵ And he said unto them, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves;
⁶ For a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him?
⁷ And he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee.
⁸ I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth.
  Persistence in prayer helps us recognize God's work.  To practice persistence does more to change our heart and mind than God's and it helps us understand and express the importance of our need.  We need to be consistent in pray, yet not ritualistic.  Often the LORD's prayer is recited without feeling or thought.  We need not be ritualistic as were the Pharisees and Sadducees. We need to come to God in pray with open and true hearts.
   Then Jesus ends by saying fathers treat their children well and how much better our perfect heavenly Father will treat us.  The most important gift God has given us is the HOLY SPIRIT (Acts 2:1-4). Whew!  Maybe a little long, but well worth the study.  Can we ever get too much of GOD!  NO, we need more and more. Thanks for reading. Love you all.
In Christ's Love and Grace
Johnny

30 days with Jesus (day 19) - Jesus sends out his disciples Luke 10:1-24

Good morning all. God is good all the time, all the time God is good.  BLESSED!! And you need to believe you are truly BLESSED!!!

   Okay, buckle up for there is really a lot of information in these 24 verses.  Are they important?  That is like saying is the Bible important!  Heavens YES!  Okay, with out further ado let us begin.

  Jesus had just finished speaking with some about following him, but they had excuses. Jesus wants dedication.  Let's look at verse 1: After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come.

   You know, I have read this many times but never really focused on the 70 appointed by Jesus.  These 70 were to go out in two's and share the good news with others.  Were they educated, were they unique, no, not one but, BUT, THEY WERE CALLED!! They were equipped because Jesus sent them and they saw His vision as well.  His power and clear vision gave them the courage and dedication to go forth.  How about you?

  In verse 2 Jesus says: 

The harvest truly is great,

but the labourers are few:

pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest,

that he would send forth labourers into his harvest.

In our Christian service there is no unemployment.  God has work for everyone, young, old, dying, healthy-our lives can reflect what Jesus wants us to be like and carry the word.  Our job is to pray, recruit, and equip others to join in the opportunity to serve Jesus.  Before you go and slap a person upside the head with your Bible, pray that God will open the doors for your witness.

  Then Jesus cautions us all, not to walk in fear, but to walk with alertness to what is going on around us.  ³ Go your ways: behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves.

  Face your enemies with love rather than aggression.  We are on a dangerous mission and we have to be totally dedicated and God will equip us. He gives guidelines to follow: ⁴ Carry neither purse, nor scrip, nor shoes: and salute no man by the way.
⁵ And into whatsoever house ye enter, first say, Peace be to this house.
⁶ And if the son of peace be there, your peace shall rest upon it: if not, it shall turn to you again.
⁷ And in the same house remain, eating and drinking such things as they give: for the labourer is worthy of his hire. Go not from house to house.

  Jesus's directions to stay in one house would avoid offending the family by moving from house to house.  Some families may start to compete to try to get the disciples to stay at their house, thereby creating animosity among the people.  Also, by staying in one place the disciples could focus on the task at hand and not worry about moving.

  Look at verse 8 & 9:  ⁸ And into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you:
⁹ And heal the sick that are therein, and say unto them, The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you.

  In 8 Jesus is saying eat what is given you, do not be picky which will help open the doors to them hearing the good news without being offended.  Then in verse 9 they were to heal the sick.  Why?  By doing so, this act of healing, a miracle, would open the door for more to listen to the good news.

  In verse 10-15 He is telling His disciples that if the city rejects them, basically, it will be hell to pay.  In other words, it would not be well for the inhabitants of those cities if they reject the words of Jesus Christ.  This leads us into verse 16:

  ¹⁶ He that heareth you heareth me;

and he that despiseth you despiseth me;

and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me.

This is a definite eye opener.  If you hear the word and despise Jesus, then you are despising God and you can figure out the end result of that decision.

  When we go out with the authority of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit great things will happen.  We just have to open up completely to the authority given us through the Holy Spirit.

  Now, when the 70 disciples returned they were beyond excited as they reported to Jesus that "even the demons obey us".  Wow!  What a thrill.  We have to remember that with GOD the supernatural is natural.  So it should be for us as well.  Now the 70 did all this ministry in Jesus' name and with his authority.  This is what we need to be remindful of--we can do the same in Jesus' name AND with HIS authority.  To be not boastful for self but glory for GOD.

  Jesus was excited for these disciples as well. Jesus says HE saw satan fall from heaven like lightning and HE has given us authority over the power of the enemy.

  Begining with verse 18 .........I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.

¹⁹ Behold, I give unto you power to tread

on serpents and scorpions,

and over all the power of the enemy:

and nothing shall by any means hurt you.

²⁰ Notwithstanding in this rejoice not,

that the spirits are subject unto you;

but rather rejoice, because

your names are written in heaven. 

Let us not lose sight of the greatest thing of all in the last part of verse 20 - REJOICE BECAUSE YOUR NAMES ARE WRITTEN IN HEAVEN!

  My friend, you have this same power, we must submit to Jesus' authority, walk in the Holy Spirit, and do everything to bring honor and glory to GOD.  We cannot be self-serving, but GOD serving.  Love you all.

In Christ's Love and Grace

Johnny

30 days with Jesus (day 18) - Jesus confronts the rich young ruler - Mark 10:17-31

Good morning all. God is good all the time, all the time God is good.  TOO BLESSED TO COMPLAIN!!

  What is your life worth?  Thousands of dollars?  Your material possessions?  Millions of dollars?  Hmmm!  Let us look at the rich young ruler in Mark 10:17-31

  Well, Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem and look, here comes a young man running to him.  This young man knelt and and aked "Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?"

   Wow, what a great question that we all have most likely had at one time or another.  How may I have eternal life?  How may I live forever.   First, Jesus asks why do you call me good?  Only God is truly good.  Then Jesus answers the question and asks do you know the commandments?

  Well, of course the young man responds that he has kept the commandments ever since he was young.  In verse 21 you will see Jesus looked at him and felt genuine love for him. Question:  Could genuine love mean agape love?  Unconditional love?

  Then in verse 21 Jesus says, " One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me."

   Then if we view verse 22 the man's face fell, he was sad, and went away as he had many possession.  We have read the Bible, we know what it says, and it is easy for us to think how could he walk away?  Well, what if you were told - go sell everything, take up your cross and follow Jesus.  Yes, leave your comfort zone, now, today.  Really, WHAT WOULD YOU DO?  It is easy to give lip service and say 'oh, yeah, I could do that' but could you really.

  For this young man money and possessions represented his pride of accomplishment.and self effort. (Notice S E L F) No reliance on God.  This young man could not turn his whole heart and life over to God.

  When Jesus told him to sell all and follow this is not necessarily what we are being told.  The point here is proper priorities should be in place.  Our possessions are okay, however, they should not come before following Jesus.  If my first thought is not Jesus Christ when I wake, what is it the most important?  Is it or am I prioritizing as God would want me to?

  Verse 23 Jesus says 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.  There are many interpretations of this verse; basically Jesus is saying we need not rely on ourselves, but rather rely on God to carry us on and through.  A rich may have a void they try to fill with material things; whereas, the ones who rely on God have that void filled with the good news of salvation and eternal life.

  The disciples said, then who can be saved (verse 26). Jesus replies 'humanly speaking it is impossible. But with God all things are possible'.  Then here comes Peter again, the bold, brassy, and aggressive one speaking up- We've given up everything to follow you.'  Then Jesus responds with:

Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel's,
Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel's,
³⁰ But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life.
³¹ But many that are first shall be last; and the last first.

  Jesus assured the disciples that anyone who give up something valuable for his sake will be repaid a hundred times over in this life, although not necessarily in the same way.   Along with these rewards we may experience persecution because the world hates God.  Jesus emphasized persecution to make sure that people do not selfishly follow him only for the rewards.

  Verse 31- Jesus explains that in the world to come, the values of this world will be reversed.  Those who seek status and importance here will have none in heaven.  Those who are humble here will be great in heaven. 

  The corrupt conditions of our society encourages confusion in values.  We are bombarded by messages that tell us how to be important and how to feel good.  Jesus' teaching about service to others seems alien.  Those who have humbly served others are most qualified to be great in heaven.

  Be humble yet bold for Christ my friend.  Love you all. 

In Christ's Love and Grace

Johnny

30 days with Jesus (day 17) - Jesus teaches on the kingdom of heaven

Good morning everyone. God is good all the time, all the time God is good.  BLESSED!!!

  Today is Matthew 13:24-52 so let us pull this scripture down now.  Jesus is talking about the parables and about our entering the kingdom of heaven.  Each one of these parables have to do with growth.  We did study the same scripture in day 10. 

   At that time it was about how Jesus taught his disciples and the people so they would understand.  Today, the main idea is to look at how this may relate to us and our growth as Christians and true followers of JESUS CHRIST!!

  

Verse 24 begins with the parable of the weeds.  You know, good seed planted and an enemy comes in and plants weeds among the good seed.  The workers ask if they should pull the weeds or tares.  This is a lesson to us to beware.  As young plants it is difficult to tell the difference between the young tares and the young good plants.  The new sprouting leaf will look similar if not the same.  Wait until they grow and at harvest bundle the weeds and burn them.  This is a warning to us all. Who is filling your pulpit?  Who is filling the important roles in your church?  Are they leading you by scripture or personally, with THEIR beliefs?  The Holy Spirit or the evil one - whom is the leader? This can be scary!

   Next comes the parable of the mustard seed.  I did a short study on this in my blog on January 19.  Click here to read.

  In the last part of the mustard seed in verse 33 is a short, very short parable that Jesus throws out and possibly we, but I know for certain I have not recognized until this study.  Here is KJV Matthew 13: ³³ He told them still another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty pounds of flour until it worked all through the dough.”

   Huh?  Wait, read that again!  Yeast, a woman, dough?  What?    Yeast can be used as a negative; however, here is it used as a positive. This is also in Luke 13:20-21.   Let us look at this for a moment. The kingdom of heaven is like yeast - quite a small beginning, almost microscopic.  Then it is mixed into 60 pounds of flour.  Now it is not just cast in there, but it is kneaded or worked all through the dough.  Jesus started with 12 apostles, the hearts of men were changed (think about salvation and the Holy Spirit) and the word spread.

   A little bit of yeast causes the dough to rise bigger and bigger.  The 12 spread the word like yeast rising dough and the disciples have become many; spread the gospel throughout the world.  “The earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea” (Habakkuk 2:14).

  May you be as yeast in your daily walk, causing others to rise in their thinking and belief, reaching out and spreading the gospel.

   In verses 36-43 Jesus explains the parable of the weeds.  Short but good to read again, please.

  The parable of the hidden treasure and the pearl can be slightly hard to understand at first.  It is short, but full of information.  Matthew 13:

⁴⁴ “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field.

When a man found it, he hid it again,

and then in his joy went and

sold all he had and bought that field.

⁴⁵ “Again, the kingdom of heaven is

like a merchant looking for fine pearls.

The kingdom of heaven is more valuable than anything else we can have, and a person must bee willing to give up everything to obtain it.  The man who discovered the treasure hidden in the field stumbled upon it by accident but knew its value when he found it.  The transaction of purchasing the field cost him everything, BUT, he paid nothing for the priceless treasure itself.  It came free, with the field.  Salvation come free to us; it is a PRESENT from the most high God.
    Next is the parable of the pearl merchant:

⁴⁵ Again, the kingdom of heaven

is like unto a merchant man,

seeking goodly pearls:

⁴⁶ Who, when he had found one pearl of great price,

went and sold all that he had, and bought it.

This is as Christ did for us; he became poor, emptied himself of everything, even gave himself a ransom for them, and so made a purchase of them, with the price of his own blood.  Jesus had it all, sitting in heaven, then gave it all up so that we might have eternal life.  Your life is worth the sacrifice of God's own son, JESUS CHRIST!  Yes, he gave it all up just for YOU!!!
  The last of these parables is about the fishing net.  In the end, when the net is full, the good fish will be kept; the bad ones will be thrown away.

   Matthew 13:⁴⁹ So shall it be at the end of the world:

the angels shall come forth,

and sever the wicked from among the just,

⁵⁰ And shall cast them into the furnace of fire:

there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

^{Change the following scripture to say "have you, (name) Johnny, understood all these things?
51} Jesus saith unto them, Have ye (your name) understood all these things? They say unto him, Yea, Lord.
May we all say:  YEA, LORD!!  Love you all.  Tomorrow Jesus demonstrates his power over nature.
In Christ's Love and Grace
Johnny

30 days with Jesus (day 16) Jesus teaches on forgiveness Matthew 18:15-35

Good morning all. God is good all the time, all the time God is good. BLESSED!  If you are a child of GOD then you are BLESSED!!!

  Jesus teaches about forgiveness.  Family. Often family members tell us the truth, it hurts, makes us angry, then we realize they were right and now is time for our action.  This is what Jesus begins to tell the disciples at verse 15:

¹⁵ Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee,

go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone:

if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.

¹⁶ But if he will not hear thee,

then take with thee one or two more,

that in the mouth of two or three witnesses

every word may be established.

¹⁷ And if he shall neglect to hear them,

tell it unto the church:

but if he neglect to hear the church,

let him be unto thee as

an heathen man and a publican.

This is what Jesus tells us to do when dealing with those who sin against us.  These guidelines are for Christians, sins committed against you, and the way to resolve the conflict.  Jesus does not give us this in order to attack a person, but to help reconcile differences between believers.

    In verses 19,20 Jesus is talking about the sincere agreement, let me say this again the SINCERE AGREEMENT between two or more believers.  This does not mean 3 or 4 of us get together and say let's be sincere about praying to win the 165 million dollar lottery.   Also, these believers need to be filled with the Holy Spirit .  This sincere agreement is more powerful than thousands praying out of "duty" or "half-heartedly".  The Holy Spirit  HAS to be involved.

¹⁹ Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.²⁰ For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.
And how many times?  The rabbis taught that people should forgive those who offend them - only three times. Peter asked Jesus if seven (the perfect number was enough. Jesus said,  I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.
 Next Jesus tells the parable of the unmerciful servant.  We all know this story and the under lying meaning is that because God has forgiven all our sins, we should not withhold forgiveness from others.  When you and I totally realize how completely Jesus has forgiven us we should have an attitude of forgiveness toward others. (Matthew 18:23-35)
  You know the story, the king brought his accounts up to date, a man owed him millions, he could not pay, asked, no begged him to "be patient with me and I will repay it all."  So the king was filled with pity, released him, and forgave his debt.
  This servant then went out to a (please note) a fellow servant - who just happened to owe him thousands. Much less than he owed the king. He was aggressive and demanded immediate payment.  The man fell before him and begged for a little more time.  The man, whom had his debt forgiven, refused to permit more time, had the man arrested and cast into prison until the debt was paid.  Wow! What a change in attitude- from begging the king to aggressive and harsh with a fellow servant.
  The other servants were upset by what happened, shared this news with the king who called the man in. Here is what Jesus says and his words are better than mine: 
³² Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me:
³³ Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellow servant, even as I had pity on thee?
³⁴ And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him.
³⁵ So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.

If we don't forgive other we are moving into a realm where we should not tread.  But that man or woman - I can't forgive them - do you know what they did?  That is not what the word says.  God will forgive you as you forgive others. How is your heart of forgiveness.  You are not free until you forgive - it matters not what the situation - forgive and God will bless you and you will have peace of mind and heart.  Thanks for reading. Love you all.

In Christ's Love and Grace

Johnny

30 days with Jesus (day 15) - Jesus casts out evil spirits (Mark 9:14-32)

Hello all. God is good all the time, all the time God is good.  BLESSED!!  Doing this a little early and hope you have a great day in the LORD!!!

   Okay, Mark 9:14-32 Jesus encounters a boy possessed by an impure spirit. So, what happens.  Just prior to this the disciples are still struggling with the idea their Messiah would have to suffer.  As they (Jesus, John James and Peter) notice a large crowd some of the teachers of religious law are arguing.  The crowd saw Jesus, came to him, and Jesus asked what all the commotion was about.  A man came forth and said Jesus' disciples could not cast the impure spirit out of the boy and explained the boys seizures.

  Jesus responded with: O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him unto me.   Jesus was frustrated with His disciples as time was drawing nigh and the disciples were not growing in faith as He felt they should. 

  The disciples had cast out demons before but they could not do it this time.  Sometimes our faith falters and Mark tells this story to show that the battle with satan is a difficult, ongoing struggle.  Victory over sin and temptation comes through faith in Jesus Christ, not through our own efforts.

  Verse 22 and 23 are interesting.  The father asks Jesus to heal the boy IF HE CAN.  Jesus responds with "What do you mean if I can? Anthing is possible if a person believes!  " Now here comes a statement that has been quoted numerous times as the father replies:

Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.

Yes, this could be the war cry for all of us Christians.  We do believe but doubt does creep in.

  Now Jesus speaks to the impure spirit and tells it to leave the boy.  The spirit screamed and threw the boy into a violent convulsion and then left him.  The boy lay there and people thought he was dead.  Then Jesus reached down, took him by the hand and the boy stood up.

  Later, when Jesus and the disciples were alone in the house they asked Jesus why they could not cast out the evil spirit.  Jesus replied, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.

   The disciples would often face difficult situations that could be resolved only through prayer.  Prayer is the key that unlocks faith in our life.  EFFECTIVE PRAYER needs both the attitude of complete dependence and the action of asking.  Prayer shows our reliance on God as we humbly invite him to fill us with faith and power. 

   At this time they traveled through Galilee and Jesus did not want anyone to know where he was.  He wanted to spend time alone with his disciples and continue to teach them.  At this point Jesus said, 

The Son of man is delivered into the hands of men,

and they shall kill him;

and after that he is killed,

he shall rise the third day.

  The disciples did not understand what Jesus was saying, yet they were afraid to ask.  Oh, how the plot thickens and the disciples are not the best of detectives at this time.  Thank you for reading.  Tomorrow, Jesus teaches forgiveness. Love you all.

In Christ's Love and Grace

Johnny

30 days with Jesus (day 14) - Peter identifies Jesus as the Christ

Good morning everyone!  What a great day to be alive in the LORD JESUS CHRIST!!  God is good all the time, all the time God is good.  BLESSED!!!!

  Today's study comes from Matthew 16:13 to 17:13.  Okay, tighten your bull rope, today is going to be a ride. Hold on.

  Jesus and the apostles were north of the Sea of Galilee at Caesarea Philippi where Greek and Roman culture was everywhere with pagan temples and idols. When Philip became ruler he rebuilt and renamed the city after the emperor (Caesar) and himself.  Philips brother was Herod.  In verse 13 Jesus asks the apostles: Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?  The disciples answered Jesus' question with the common view - that HE was one of the prophets that had come back to life.

  Jesus came back and said:  But whom say ye that I am?   This is when Peter answered and said, " Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God"  Jesus tells Peter that he was blessed because His (Jesus') father in heaven had revealed this to him.  Also, this is when Jesus called Peter the rock and said:  

And I say also unto thee,

That thou art Peter, and

upon this rock I will build my church;

and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

¹⁹ And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven:

and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven:

and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

Now Jesus warns them to tell no one that he is the Messiah.  Please note Peter at this time.  Peter seems to be the most outgoing and aggressive of the disciples.  He just now claimed Jesus the Messiah.
  At this point Jesus began to teach his apostles and try to prepare them for His upcoming torture and death.  In the apostles minds they may still see him as a military Messiah, whereas HE comes as a suffering and humble Messiah to save the world.  They had to understand this fully before they could go out and proclaim the victory to the world.  When Jesus' mission was complete would be when they fully understood HIS mission.  The trial, the punishment, the crucifixion, the burial, the resurrection; this would be the final "eye-opener" for the apostles. 
  Remember Peter said Jesus was the Messiah, then in verse 21 Jesus begins to tell of impending trials, death, and third day He would rise.  Okay, remember Peter, he jumps in and tried to reprimand Jesus for saying such things.  Jesus' response:  Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.   Peter does not want to hear this but he still is not quite understanding.  Peter, as a good friend did not want Jesus to face this suffering.  Much as we do with our friends. How oft have you heard someone say something like, 'surely God doesn't want you to face this', when in reality there is a reason.  In this case Jesus' death was to give Peter, you, me, and everyone forgiveness of our sins and eternal life.
  Jesus goes on to say: 
²⁵ For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.
²⁶ For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
As in Toby Mac's song: I don't want to gain the whole world and lose my soul.  Verse 26 our life here is just the introduction to eternity. How we live here determines our eternal state.  All the wealth and material things in the world have no bearing on your eternal state.
Jesus continues on saying: ²⁷ For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.
²⁸ Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom.
In Chapter 17 Jesus takes Peter, James and John with him to a mountain top.
² And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light. ³ And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him.

     The vision the three saw gave them a brief glimpse of the true glory of the King.  Note that the three, Jesus, Moses, and Elijah were talking.  This should indicate to us how important interaction among us is.  What is the significance of the three. Moses represents the law or the old covenant, he wrote the Pentateuch and predicted the coming of a great prophet (Deuteronomy 18:15-19)   Elijah represents the prophets who foretold the coming of the Christ, the Messiah. (Malachi 4:5,6)
  Well get ready, here rushes in Peter once again, LORD, man this is great!  Do you want us to build 3 altars? Huh? Huh? We can do it!  This is a time of worship and adoration, not a time for action. Peter is truly gung-ho!  Then suddenly a voice comes out of the clouds and says:  " This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him." 
  The three, Peter, James and John were scared.  I would be also to hear a voice come out of the sky, a cloud.  They fell face down to the ground, Jesus came over, touched them and told them to get up and not be afraid.  Also, he told them to tell no one until?  Yes, until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.  Wow!  What a day to have with Jesus! 
  In verse 10 the three disciples asked Jesus, Why then say the scribes that Elias must first come?  Jesus answered with this:   ¹¹ And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things.
¹² But I say unto you, That Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them.
¹³ Then the disciples understood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist.
John the Baptist took on Elijah's prophetic role, boldly confronting sin and pointing people to God.  Look back at Malachi 4: ⁵ “See, I will send the prophet Elijah to you before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes.
  Wow, what a lesson today to just be in tune with the LORD and not rush in.  We must be totally sold out as Peter, but also see more than the impulse moves us at the time.  Peter is a great person to help us understand our relationship with the LORD.  So often we want to rush in and do something, action.  Tis not always so.  Thank you for reading. Love you all.
In Christ's Love and Grace
Johnny

30 days with Jesus (day 13) - Jesus feeds 5,000+ followers

Good morning all. God is good all the time, all the time God is good.  BLESSED TO LIVE IN THE U.S.A.

   Presidents day - pray for our president, his cabinet, and all the politicians that they will do right for AMERICA!!!

  Today, in John 6: 1-15 we will talk about Jesus feeding the 5,000+.  So, let's open our Bibles OR click on the link.

  Well, as chapter six begins Jesus crossed over to the far side of the Sea of Galilee also known as the Sea of Tiberias.  Because of the miracles HE had done a crowd was following Him.  Jesus went to a hill, sat down with His disciples around Him and this time of year the Passover was almost there.  The setting is close to Bethsaida, a town only about 9 miles away and where Philip was from.

  As the crowd approached Jesus asked, " Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat?"  By asking this Jesus already knew the answer, but He is testing His disciples to see how strong their faith was.  Philip looks up, and basically says if we had a over a half a years wages each person would only get a little to eat.

   By asking this Jesus will be able to accentuate the power of his next coming miracle.  Philip looked at this situation and addressed it from a man's standpoint, not from a spiritual advantage point.  Jesus is probably trying to teach His disciples that we may limit what God does by assuming what is and is not possible.

  Then Andrew speaks up, maybe he had a little more insight, who knows?? He says, here is a boy with 5 barley loafs and 2 fish.  Now from a man's standpoint, from a merely human position this is just plain ignorant to think this would be enough.  Now, maybe this little boy with the fish and barley brought all he had believing, who knows? (yes, God knows) But he was there for the upcoming miracle. 

   Once Andrew says this what does Jesus do?  Jesus says, " Make the men sit down."   So, 5,000 men sat down, not counting women and children.  What does Jesus do next, say come and get it?  No, no, no!  Jesus knows of the miracle that is about to happen and does what we all should do daily and each time we sup.  He broke the bread and gave thanks to God; then He did likewise with the fish.  There was no doubt in Jesus' mind this would feed everyone as God would not let the bread or fish run out until all were fed.

   After everyone ate, no, NO, the Bible does not say this.  The Bible tells us that after everyone was FULL, not just a snack, or a little bit, but all were FULL.  Different translations will say filled, all they could eat, etc. but it all means FULL.

  Okay, now pay attention to this.  From 5 barley loafs and 2 fish the disciples picked up 12 baskets of leftovers.  What?  All of this from so little?  YES, when God is involved we should expect to see more.  As Sid Roth says, with God the supernatural is natural.  Oh, so true!

   A couple of lessons here.  One the young boy with the barley loafs and fish.  We are never too young or too old to be used by God, we just need to be available.

  Lesson number two,  God gives in abundance.  Whatever we give Him, time, ability, or resources, HE multiplies its effectiveness beyond our wildest expectation.

  We have to take the first step, the step in making ourselves available to God. Then HE will show you how greatly you can be used to advance the work of his Kingdom.

   The people said this is the Prophet we have been expecting (Moses prophesied this in Deuteronomy 18: --  ¹⁵  The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him.

  Jesus could see that the people were ready to take Him by force and make Him king, the time was yet to come, so He slipped away to a mountain alone. Another lesson here, sometimes we need to get away, be alone, and just have a conversation with God. 

   Hey, I thought this was a great lesson today and looking forward to tomorrow when Peter identifies Jesus as the Christ.  Love you all.

In Christ's Love and Grace

Johnny

30 days with Jesus (day 12) - Jesus heals many Mark 5:1-43

Good morning all. Sunday and a great day to be alive in the LORD JESUS CHRIST!!!!!  God is good all the time, all the time God is good.  BLESSED!!

    In Mark 5: 1-20 we come upon a man who was possessed by demons. Now this is different than when Jesus came in contact with two men possessed by demons.  This man is by himself, living in the hills and burial caves.  He has been bound by chains of which he broke.  Nothing, no-nothing could contain him. What is strongest to take control of this man is JESUS' word, a spoken word  (not chains or ropes)

   In verses 6 & 7:

  ⁶ When he saw Jesus from a distance,

he ran and fell on his knees in front of him.

⁷ He shouted at the top of his voice

, “What do you want with me, Jesus,

Son of the Most High God?

In God’s name don’t torture me!”

To me what is interesting here is that the demons recognize Jesus and are fearful, but the apostles still struggle with who Jesus is.

  Jesus responds by telling the unclean spirits to come out of this man. Then Jesus asks the spirits what is his name.

“My name is Legion,” he replied, “for we are many.”

¹⁰ And he begged Jesus again and again

not to send them out of the area.

Now this demon was many, legion which was probably 3 to 6 thousand soldiers in the Romans.days.  He is fearful, defensive, does not want Jesus to interfere with his 'mission' in this man.  He begged Jesus not to send them out of this area.  Next comes an interesting part.  Look carefully at what happens:

      ¹¹ A large herd of pigs was feeding on the nearby hillside. ¹² The demons begged Jesus, “Send us among the pigs; allow us to go into them.” ¹³ He gave them permission, and the impure spirits came out and went into the pigs. The herd, about two thousand in number, rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned.

A large herd of pigs are feeding - now at this time pigs are unclean to the Jews, they could not be eaten or touched by the Jews.  This occurred in the region of the Gerasenes, a Gentile region, explaining why pigs could be involved.

  People who saw raced off to town to tell others, then: ¹⁵ When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid.

  The people did not understand and they were afraid, pleading with Jesus to leave.  The demon possessed man wanted to go with Jesus, but was told no, to go to his town and tell the people what the LORD had done for hom.

  Jesus gets in a boat and crosses to the other side of the lake.  ²² Then one of the synagogue leaders, named Jairus, came, and when he saw Jesus, he fell at his feet. ²³ He pleaded earnestly with him, “My little daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on her so that she will be healed and live.” ²⁴ So Jesus went with him.

   Jairus was responsible for supervising worship, running the weekly school, and caring for the building.  Many of these leaders had close ties to the Pharisees, so for Jairus to bow before Jesus was a significant and perhaps daring act of respect and worship. So Jesus started that way.

   While walking to the synagogue a woman who had been bleeding for years heard that Jesus was coming near her.  ²⁷ When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, ²⁸ because she thought, “If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.” ²⁹ Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.

  For you and I this may be nothing, to be in a crowd and someone touch part of our garment. That is because we are not Jesus, HE felt the power of healing come out and knew someone had touched his cloak.  Because of her tremendous faith she was healed immediately.

   Jesus asked who touched his cloak (he already knew, but needed confirmation to give glory to God).  The disciples are saying there are so many people, how could we tell?  Why would you ask, probably many have touched you?

  Jesus was looking around to see, the woman realizing she was healed came and dropped at His feet.  Jesus' response: “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.”

  Jesus continues on to the synagogue to the little girl.  Oh, but to understand the power and workings of Jesus.  As He approached there was wailing and crying, mournful crying over the dead girl.  They said not to bother the teacher (Jesus) as it was too late.  Jesus chose 3 apostles to go with him to the girl, Peter, James, and John (the brother of James). 

  When Jesus said the girl was only sleeping the people laughed at him.  He put everyone out except the 3 and the mother and father of the little girl.  Then: ⁴¹ He took her by the hand and said to her, “Talitha koum!” (which means “Little girl, I say to you, get up!”). ⁴² Immediately the girl stood up and began to walk around (she was twelve years old). 

   Everyone was astonished, amazed. Jesus gave strict orders not to tell others of the miracle.  The time had not yet come for Jesus' confrontation with the religious leaders and He still had a lot to accomplish.  He did not want people following Him just to see miracles, but to truly believe.

   Thank you for reading.  A great day to be alive in the LORD JESUS CHRIST!!

 Love you all.

In Christ's Love and Grace

Johnny