Yes! It is Friday,and we are in Matthew 16. For those reading along, I know the chapters are long. Just hang in there! We can do this!! Matthew 16 is a lot shorter than than the previous chapters, so I will try to keep my comments shorter also. :) I dont know about you, but towards the end of this reading, I had Toby Macs I dont want to gain the whole world and lose my soul playing in my mind. Its definitely an oldie but goodie! Once again we see the religious leaders demanding a sign from Jesus. Jesus tells them that the sign they will see is the sign of Jonah. Now what is the sign of Jonah? Remember Jonah was in the belly of the well for three nights and then spit onto dry land alive and well. So shall the son of man be swallowed by death for three days, but resurrected alive and well. The whale couldnt hold Jonah. Death couldnt hold Jesus. Here we see the disciple worrying over bread. Where is their faith? Jesus had just fed five thousand with five loaves and two fishes! Now before you beat up the faithless disciples, how many of us forget the power of our God when battling something? I know I have especially in the despair of a moment. We have such little faith! Now we have another moment when the divinity of Christ is announced. It always amazes me when discussing with an unbeliever that Christ is God, and they will tell me that Christ never claimed to be God. Really? I think we have already read several verses already where Christ claims to be I AM. Here we have Christ revealing His divinity to the disciples. Peter has recognized that Christ is the Messiah. This is not by Peters doing, but by God revealing it to Peter. Jesus foretells of His death and resurrection. Peter rebukes Him, and Jesus puts Peter in his place. Now remember, the Jews are looking for the Messiah to overthrow the Roman government and exalt Israel. They are looking for a conqueror. They fail to realize that Jesus is a conqueror, but first He will conquer sin and death through His death and resurrection and will provide salvation for all people... Jew and Gentile alike. Israel will be set apart and will rise above all nations, but that is after the tribulation when Jesus sits on the throne in Jerusalem. Take up your cross and follow Me. This is such a strong statement. How many of us are willing to leave every thing behind and follow Christ? Give up our treasures. The things that bring us happiness and security and follow Christ at all cost. I know I cling to stuff. What profits us if we gain everything... money, power, relationships, status, the nicest vehicles, the best homes, the best vacations, if it costs us our soul in the end? Temporary earthly happiness for eternal damnation? My prayer is often, Lord just give me enough. Enough to get by. Too much takes me away from You. Too little makes me covet what I dont have but want. My treasures should be what Im storing up in heaven, not what Im hoarding here on earth. Have a blessed day my friends. Go seize that day in love, who do you say Jesus is?, peace out and ARMOR ON! youtube/watch?v=coHKdhAZ9hU
Posted on: Fri, 03 Oct 2014 10:44:29 +0000
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