February | 2011 | Jesus Speaks
The Jew First, Then the Gentile!
In Jewish culture, dogs were considered dirty animals that scavenged for food; they rummaged through garbage and fed off of the scraps that people refused to eat. The Jews commonly referred to non-Jews (gentiles) as dogs. Jesus identified the begging woman as a dog; he told her his priority was the lost Children of Israel. How did she react to being called a dog? She was not insulted nor did she turn away. The woman humbly persisted; she accepted being a dog, but refused to accept no from Jesus. He grants her desired request, and praises her for her faith. [Note: Jesus literally referred to himself as the “bread from heaven;” God provided his Son as a heavenly meal for His people. Many chose to eat what God had provided; many however rejected God’s super. Today, Christians who are not Jewish have been blessed to eat the crumbs (leftovers) that have fallen from His ‘table.’ Because Jesus was rejected by many Jews, God was gracious enough to allow anyone who was hungry to eat ‘The bread of life.’]
When I was a small child, we ate meals around a dining room table. Our dog, Brutis, was an overeager collie that waited in the wings for my mother to leave the room. My mother would ask us to eat all of our food, which we of course did not enjoy. When she left we whistled and lowered our plates. Brutis would come and lick the plates clean. By the time my mother returned, it appeared as though some of us had finished our meal. He was more than happy to eat what we had rejected; he enjoyed the food that was meant for us; he never once complained about get leftovers, or not being able to sit at the table.
Published February 19, 2011	Uncategorized Closed
Jesus warned of the danger of unforgiveness; it is dangerous to not forgive, because God’s forgiveness of our sins is dependent upon our forgiveness those who have sinned against us. He said, “But if you do not forgive, your Father in heaven will not forgive your sins.” How many times is a person obligated to forgive another? Jesus used the number seven because in the Hebrew culture it was symbolic of completeness; a disciple of Christ is obligated to forgive an infinite amount of times. Since the beginning of creation men and women have been running to God to ask Him for forgiveness. Not a single person who has ever asked Him has been denied; we must do as our Father does. (In this scripture there are also two persons who must take action; the sinner, and the one who has been sinned against. The one who has been harmed must confront the one who has harmed them. In turn, the one who has sinned is obligated to repent and ask for forgiveness. [Note: Even if the other person doesn’t repent, it is good for a true believer to forgive them completely. While Jesus hung on the cross the religious leaders teased him; they were not repentant, but Jesus said, “Forgive them Father, for they know not what they do.” We have our example in Christ.])
Some months ago, I discovered that my car had been vandalized; the stereo had been stolen along with a $150 watch, and a small MP3 player. After realizing what had happened I was very angry. But my heart was immediately in communication with God. The Holy Spirit revealed to me that God had forgiven me of so many sins that I had no right to refuse to forgive the vandals. A warm feeling came over me, and the anger was swept away like a grain of sand caught in the flow of a mighty river. I prayed that their lives would be transformed and that they would come to know Jesus Christ; since then I have never wished them any harm.
To what extent should we forgive others; Jesus has taught us that we should be like him, and forgive all those who need to be forgiven. We who have been forgiven of so much, have no right to withhold forgiveness from others. Search your heart; if you know of anyone you haven’t forgiven, you need to forgive them. You may also need to confront them, and give them the opportunity to repent and ask to be forgiven (follow the leading of The Spirit.) May the Lord show you any resentment you are harboring, and may He give you the strength to let go of your hatred in favor of forgiveness.
“Lord Heavanly Father, we come to You and ask for Your forgiveness for all of the sins we have committed. We desire to be like You, and to forgive like You. Help us to forgive others from our hearts. If there is anyone that we have not forgiven, we ask that You reveal it to us now, and help us to be obediant to You in confronting them of their sin if You so desire; and help us to let go of any hatred we are clinging too. We love You Father, we praise You, and we thank You, and we ask and pray all of these things, in Jesus Christ’s name. Amen.” God bless all of you.
Published February 17, 2011	Uncategorized Closed
Therefore they said to him, “What sign will you perform then, that we may see it and believe you? Our fathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’”
Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, Moses did not give you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to world.”
Then they said to him, “Lord give us this bread always.”
And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me shall never hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst.” (John 6: 30-35.)
“Lord Heavenly Father we so desperately desire new life. We want to spend an eternity with You. We believe that Your Son is the message and not just the messenger; and we accept Your invitation. May we share Your heart and be filled with love and kindness. Help us to be committed to You and to avoid the things that can lead to death. We love You Father, we praise You, and we thank You, and we ask and pray all of these things in Jesus Christ’s name. Amen.” God bless all of you.
Jesus came to create division
Jesus corrected the commonly held belief that he came to bring peace to the earth; his real purpose was to give everyone the opportunity to choose their eternal destination for themselves. The baptism Jesus underwent on the cross divided the world in two; some have accepted his sacrifice and followed his teaching; still others believe he was just a man, and the cross has no meaning in their lives. On this earth the strongest of all bonds exist within the family unit. Loyalty among siblings and between parents and children are supreme; yet not even these sacred relationships could withstand the new order Christ’s sacrifice has produced; the believer’s new supreme allegiance belongs to him, and those who share this allegiance are, ‘The Body of Christ.’
In Luke Jesus said to a man, “Follow me;” to which the man replied, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” Jesus then said, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you, go and preach the kingdom.” Then another man came to him and said, “Lord, I will follow You, but let me first go and bid them farewell who are at my house.” Jesus replied, “No one, having put his hand to plow and looking back, is fit for the Kingdom of God.” In both instances Jesus was causing turmoil and creating division. Both men were given the opportunity to choose between allegiance to family, and allegiance to Jesus Christ. Two choices, two sides, two paths; the choices presented to them are the same choices we face today.
In our time, the majority of people see Jesus Christ as the ‘prince of peace,’ but not as ‘the sword of God that cuts the world in two.’ Jesus did not come to bring peace to the earth, but to create unity among believers and division between those believers and everyone else. If you are at peace with the world, how can you be at peace with God? If we stand in this place as faithful believers, then the world will stand in opposition to us. Persecution is part of being a believer; we will suffer for our faith, but we are not alone. We must be strong for each other, and as one body, we can endure, and we can overcome the world through our Lord and savior Jesus Christ.
“Lord Heavenly Father we ask that You give us the strength to step out in faith for You. We desire to be Your followers, so please help us to be different, to be filled with love, and to never be ashamed of the truth. Lord may our allegiance to You and to Your Son be supreme, and may we never put any relationship ahead of our relationship with You. Lord, may we eternally stand with You. We love You Father, we praise You, and we thank You, and we ask and pray all of these things, in Jesus Christ’s name. Amen.” God bless all of you.
February | 2011 | Jesus Speaks
The Jew First, Then the Gentile!
In Jewish culture, dogs were considered dirty animals that scavenged for food; they rummaged through garbage and fed off of the scraps that people refused to eat. The Jews commonly referred to non-Jews (gentiles) as dogs. Jesus identified the begging woman as a dog; he told her his priority was the lost Children of Israel. How did she react to being called a dog? She was not insulted nor did she turn away. The woman humbly persisted; she accepted being a dog, but refused to accept no from Jesus. He grants her desired request, and praises her for her faith. [Note: Jesus literally referred to himself as the “bread from heaven;” God provided his Son as a heavenly meal for His people. Many chose to eat what God had provided; many however rejected God’s super. Today, Christians who are not Jewish have been blessed to eat the crumbs (leftovers) that have fallen from His ‘table.’ Because Jesus was rejected by many Jews, God was gracious enough to allow anyone who was hungry to eat ‘The bread of life.’]
When I was a small child, we ate meals around a dining room table. Our dog, Brutis, was an overeager collie that waited in the wings for my mother to leave the room. My mother would ask us to eat all of our food, which we of course did not enjoy. When she left we whistled and lowered our plates. Brutis would come and lick the plates clean. By the time my mother returned, it appeared as though some of us had finished our meal. He was more than happy to eat what we had rejected; he enjoyed the food that was meant for us; he never once complained about get leftovers, or not being able to sit at the table.
Published February 19, 2011	Uncategorized Closed
Jesus warned of the danger of unforgiveness; it is dangerous to not forgive, because God’s forgiveness of our sins is dependent upon our forgiveness those who have sinned against us. He said, “But if you do not forgive, your Father in heaven will not forgive your sins.” How many times is a person obligated to forgive another? Jesus used the number seven because in the Hebrew culture it was symbolic of completeness; a disciple of Christ is obligated to forgive an infinite amount of times. Since the beginning of creation men and women have been running to God to ask Him for forgiveness. Not a single person who has ever asked Him has been denied; we must do as our Father does. (In this scripture there are also two persons who must take action; the sinner, and the one who has been sinned against. The one who has been harmed must confront the one who has harmed them. In turn, the one who has sinned is obligated to repent and ask for forgiveness. [Note: Even if the other person doesn’t repent, it is good for a true believer to forgive them completely. While Jesus hung on the cross the religious leaders teased him; they were not repentant, but Jesus said, “Forgive them Father, for they know not what they do.” We have our example in Christ.])
Some months ago, I discovered that my car had been vandalized; the stereo had been stolen along with a $150 watch, and a small MP3 player. After realizing what had happened I was very angry. But my heart was immediately in communication with God. The Holy Spirit revealed to me that God had forgiven me of so many sins that I had no right to refuse to forgive the vandals. A warm feeling came over me, and the anger was swept away like a grain of sand caught in the flow of a mighty river. I prayed that their lives would be transformed and that they would come to know Jesus Christ; since then I have never wished them any harm.
To what extent should we forgive others; Jesus has taught us that we should be like him, and forgive all those who need to be forgiven. We who have been forgiven of so much, have no right to withhold forgiveness from others. Search your heart; if you know of anyone you haven’t forgiven, you need to forgive them. You may also need to confront them, and give them the opportunity to repent and ask to be forgiven (follow the leading of The Spirit.) May the Lord show you any resentment you are harboring, and may He give you the strength to let go of your hatred in favor of forgiveness.
“Lord Heavanly Father, we come to You and ask for Your forgiveness for all of the sins we have committed. We desire to be l
ike You, and to forgive like You. Help us to forgive others from our hearts. If there is anyone that we have not forgiven, we ask that You reveal it to us now, and help us to be obediant to You in confronting them of their sin if You so desire; and help us to let go of any hatred we are clinging too. We love You Father, we praise You, and we thank You, and we ask and pray all of these things, in Jesus Christ’s name. Amen.” God bless all of you.
Published February 17, 2011	Uncategorized Closed
Therefore they said to him, “What sign will you perform then, that we may see it and believe you? Our fathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’”
Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, Moses did not give you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to world.”
Then they said to him, “Lord give us this bread always.”
And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me shall never hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst.” (John 6: 30-35.)
“Lord Heavenly Father we so desperately desire new life. We want to spend an eternity with You. We believe that Your Son is the message and not just the messenger; and we accept Your invitation. May we share Your heart and be filled with love and kindness. Help us to be committed to You and to avoid the things that can lead to death. We love You Father, we praise You, and we thank You, and we ask and pray all of these things in Jesus Christ’s name. Amen.” God bless all of you.
Jesus came to create division
Jesus corrected the commonly held belief that he came to bring peace to the earth; his real purpose was to give everyone the opportunity to choose their eternal destination for themselves. The baptism Jesus underwent on the cross divided the world in two; some have accepted his sacrifice and followed his teaching; still others believe he was just a man, and the cross has no meaning in their lives. On this earth the strongest of all bonds exist within the family unit. Loyalty among siblings and between parents and children are supreme; yet not even these sacred relationships could withstand the new order Christ’s sacrifice has produced; the believer’s new supreme allegiance belongs to him, and those who share this allegiance are, ‘The Body of Christ.’
In Luke Jesus said to a man, “Follow me;” to which the man replied, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” Jesus then said, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you, go and preach the kingdom.” Then another man came to him and said, “Lord, I will follow You, but let me first go and bid them farewell who are at my house.” Jesus replied, “No one, having put his hand to plow and looking back, is fit for the Kingdom of God.” In both instances Jesus was causing turmoil and creating division. Both men were given the opportunity to choose between allegiance to family, and allegiance to Jesus Christ. Two choices, two sides, two paths; the choices presented to them are the same choices we face today.
In our time, the majority of people see Jesus Christ as the ‘prince of peace,’ but not as ‘the sword of God that cuts the world in two.’ Jesus did not come to bring peace to the earth, but to create unity among believers and division between those believers and everyone else. If you are at peace with the world, how can you be at peace with God? If we stand in this place as faithful believers, then the world will stand in opposition to us. Persecution is part of being a believer; we will suffer for our faith, but we are not alone. We must be strong for each other, and as one body, we can endure, and we can overcome the world through our Lord and savior Jesus Christ.
“Lord Heavenly Father we ask that You give us the strength to step out in faith for You. We desire to be Your followers, so please help us to be different, to be filled with love, and to never be ashamed of the truth. Lord may our allegiance to You and to Your Son be supreme, and may we never put any relationship ahead of our relationship with You. Lord, may we eternally stand with You. We love You Father, we praise You, and we thank You, and we ask and pray all of these things, in Jesus Christ’s name. Amen.” God bless all of you.