God’s Way of Blessing…or Mine? Matthew 5:1-16, The Beatitudes

Click here to view or download Matthew 5:1-12, The Beatitudes

For the whole Matthew study, click here.

Matthew Chapter 5, verses 1-16

The Beatitudes – these first 16 verses in Matthew 5 – set the theme for the whole Sermon on the Mount, in fact, for all of life once Jesus began His ministry.  They are saying:  Once you believe in Jesus Christ you enter the Kingdom of Heaven….not someday after you die…but right away, as soon as you believe.  And the Kingdom of Heaven is not at all like the world you’ve been living in.  The rules are different.  The reality is different.  Something might look absolutely horrible in your old world, but in the Kingdom of Heaven, it’s a blessing!

“These are Words to Build a Life On”  – Michael Crawford

Books I Am Reading – “Seven Reasons Why You Can Trust the Bible”

Seven Reasons Why You Can Trust the Bible, by Erwin LutzerI have read and re-read this little book by Erwin Lutzer, Pastor of Moody Church in Chicago.  It is bedrock for being able to discuss the extreme value of the Bible with anyone.

“I invite you to join me on my journey.  Let us go back to the basics, back to the most fundamental question any human being could ask:  Has God spoken?  Are there credible reasons to believe that we can hold His revelation in our hands?”  – Erwin Lutzer

Why Baptism? Matthew Chapter 3

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For the whole Matthew Study, click here.

Matthew Chapter 3.

Baptism in all of scripture is always “believer’s baptism”.  The person being baptized has already made a decision to believe in Jesus.

In other words,

  1. If you were baptized as a baby, your parents made a commitment to raise you to hear about and love Jesus, good!  But believer’s baptism is for people old enough to have made a personal decision to follow Christ themselves.  You couldn’t do that as a baby.  If you were baptized as a baby, and have since made a personal decision to follow Christ, then it’s time to be baptized – as a believer.
  1. If you were baptized when you were a child or a teenager, but you know now that you actually didn’t have a heart-faith in Jesus at that time, then you haven’t yet participated in “believers’ baptism”.

Baby or childhood baptism is not the same as believer’s baptism.  Don’t let anyone tell you not to be baptized as a believer because you’ve already been baptized as a baby, or because you were baptized (though not a believer) as a child or teen.  It’s not the same.  You didn’t “raise your flag”.  You couldn’t.  If you have come to faith in Christ since then, “raise your flag” now.

The Three Wise Gentiles Matthew Chapter 2

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Matthew Chapter 2

The three wise gentiles.  They didn’t walk back outside and worship the star.  They didn’t fall to their knees, look to the heavens, and thank the One Who had led them.  They walked into this little house and worshipped the young child.  They knew the child was God.

Proving That a Geneology Can Be Awesome! Matthew Chapter 1

Click here to view or download this study of Matthew Chapter 1

For the whole Matthew study, click here.

Matthew Chapter 1

What is a geneology?

It’s a list of names.  Sounds a little boring, I know, but you are going to be amazed at the stuff you can learn from this Matthew Chapter 1 Geneology!

In fact, there’s so much info in this geneology that I have divided it into 5 different lessons.  Click on the image to the left, and read them one at a time over a period of days, or one week at a time for a 5-week group Bible study, or just dive in and soak it all up today.  This is God’s record of His hand in our world.

The Problem with Us Worshipping Athletes is That They Have No Home to Come Home To

The Prodigal Son of Luke 15:11-32 was a disgusting, ridiculous mess of a boy/man, and then he came home.

There was a home he could go to – a place where he knew how sinful it was to lie, cheat, steal, shack up, get drunk, worship himself and live a wasteful life.  Home was a place where he knew he would be confronted with the guilt of his sins.  And that is where he had to go.  He had to repent.  He had to say I’m sorry.  He had to admit it all and accept the worst.  The load on his shoulders was not bearable.

But the problem with our worshipped athletes today is that home is where they learned to worship themselves.  Home is where they learned that winning is the top requirement for worship…so just make sure you win and everything else is secondary.  They have no home to come home to.  No place to repent.  No place to weep and openly admit it all.

This is grevious!  Why don’t we give them someplace to come home to?  Why do we give them only the false idea they are worthy to be worshipped?   Or the false idea that the point of repentance is to be worthy to be worshipped again?

Look what happens when there is a place to come home to:

“…But while the son was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion.  He ran, threw his arms around his neck, and kissed him.  The son said to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight.  I’m no longer worthy to be called your son.”   But the father told his slaves, “Quick!  Bring out the best robe and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.  Then bring the fattened calf and slaughter it, and let’s celebrate with a feast, because this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!”  So they began to celebrate.”   Luke 15:20-23

 

 

 

 

Books I Am Reading – “Betrayed”, by Stan Telchin

"Betrayed" by stan telchinLoved this simple testimony of a Jewish man who was wounded deeply by the unexpected from his daughter – she came to believe that Jesus Christ was the promised Messiah of the Jewish scriptures.  In this short, but moving little book, I was reminded anew of how powerful it is to simply believe in Jesus and tell your story.

Week #22 of our Psalm 119 study: Psalm 119:169-176 “Please Come Find Me”

Click here to view or download Week 22 of our Psalm 119 studyThis is our last week of our Psalm 119 study.  If you’ve been along for the whole ride, I hope you have enjoyed it as much as I have.  Click here to get links to each of the 22 weeks in this study.

Are you studying with us through Psalm 119?  Great!  This is Week #22, Psalm 119:169-176  “Please Come Find Me”  . Click on the picture to the left to view or download this study.

Even in his growing relationship with the Lord he loves, the Psalmist still wanders away into his own sinful ways.  He knows, even more now than when he started, that without the hand of God seeking him and continually bringing him back, he is doomed to forever end up lost, away from his beloved shepherd, alone and afraid, guilty and hopeless.

The Psalmist is not unusual.  You and I are the same as he is.  We never get so mature in the Lord that we can trust ourselves to walk our mountain paths without His staff and his rod.

Books I Am Reading…New Category for 2013

I’m adding a new category in 2013.  I’d like to make comments on books I am reading, and let you know whether or not I recommend them.   Here’s a book I am currently finishing up:

"Luke" - Michael CardI Really like this commentary on Luke by Michael Card.  I normally associate Michael with awesome, inspiring music – and I’ve found that his commentary is also artisitic and inspiring – giving me not only facts, but also pictures in my mind of the events Luke is describing.  Here’s a quote I especially liked today (from Luke 13, page 168) :

“The Job Equation”  (that’s Job of the Bible, not the job which pays my bills) is a simple formula that says if you are bad, you will suffer, while if you are good, you will prosper.  On one hand, it represents the fundamental aspect of the law.  If you are obedient, God blesses you; if you are disobedient, God disciplines you.  On the other hand, there is more going on in the world that renders the equation not quite as simple as it may seem…..The best answer, as far as I can understand it, is that God uses suffering to save the world and that the connection between sin and suffering is never as simple as we want it to be.”