Matthew 14:31-Why did you doubt?

Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?” Matthew 14:31

Sometimes we step out in faith, but then we doubt. Why? In Peter's case in the passage above, he sees the wind. What sort of wind disrupts our faithwalk? Maybe we commit to teaching a bible class, but we find ourselves uninspired. Maybe we are trying to stop an addictive behavior, but as quickly as we say we won't do it, we do. Maybe we strike out on a new career path we feel called to, but it's not what we dreamed it would be. If we think about what can make us doubt ahead of time, maybe we can build our faith to help prevent sinking into the waves. We can keep our head up, eyes on Jesus, and step boldly. 

Lord, Thank you for allowing us to step out in faith. Please help us to prepare for the wind and remain faithful. Amen.

Matthew 6:3 - Seek first

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

This morning I am choosing a new book to begin reading and studying. It is always a difficult choice, but recently someone suggested reading 2nd Samuel, which is about King David, his rise to power and his mistakes. So unless I get a strong feeling from the Lord pointing me in a different direction, that is where I will start tomorrow.

Lord, thank you for waking me up this morning early enough to study your word. Please help me to continue to seek you first. Amen.

Matthew 16:24-25 - Will you still love him?

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.

Do you believe God can turn any situation? Will you still love him if he doesn’t?

In preparing for another ladies class discussion, this phrase really impacted me. We are called to believe, but we are called to believe beyond getting our way. Our lesson is on Mary and Martha, but not the story of the sisters having Jesus in their home. This lesson focuses on when their brother, Jesus' friend, Lazarus dies. They expect Jesus to drop everything and come to their rescue, but he doesn't. They both eventually come to show Jesus they love him and he is their messiah, even though Lazarus is dead. That's not the end of the story, Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead, but Mary and Martha would have loved him even if he hadn't.

Lord, We love you and believe in you, even when you don't do what we ask. Please help us to trust in you always. Amen.

Matthew 20:20 - James' parents

Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down, asked a favor of him.

Many of the biblical references to James refer to his parents. Part of this may be because this is how people were identified with so many similar names.

According to Wikkipedia which can always be trusted (cough) here is some insight in to John's parents:

His parents seem to have been people of means. Zebedee, his father, was a fisherman of the Sea of Galilee, who probably lived in or near Bethsaida, present Galilee, Israel, perhaps in Capernaum, and had some boatmen or hired men. Salome, his mother, was one of the pious women who afterwards followed Christ and "ministered unto him of their substance", and his brother John was personally known to the high-priest, and must have had wherewithal to provide for the Mother of Jesus.^[1]

The Synoptic Gospels state that James and John were with their father by the seashore when Jesus called them to follow him. Matthew 4:21-22 Mark 1:19-20

James' mom, Salome,  is mentioned many times in the gospels, including at the cross. She is probably most remembered for asking Jesus if her sons, James and John, could sit at the right and left side of Jesus. Not a good idea.

The verses including the family of James, make it appear that the family of Jesus and the Zebedee family were very close and were an important part of Jesus ministry.

Lord, thank you for giving us examples of parents, the good and the bad. Please help us to be Godly parents. Amen.

Matthew 4:21-22 - James...really

Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.

Ok, I really need to study these guys (James and Andrew) because I got them confused yesterday and listed a verse which spoke of Andrew not James. And, he is John's brother (John the apostle, not to be confused with John the baptist). So...we have two sets of brothers: Peter and Andrew then James and John. Duhhh. That is how they were called and how the song goes. This shouldn't be tough.

Lord, thank you for your word. Please make it clear to me. Amen.

Matthew 4:18-20 - James

As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” At once they left their nets and followed him.

I am starting a study on James and Andrew for a class in a couple weeks, so my morning blog entries will reflect this. So this morning, beginning my study on James, I found out there are a lot of guys named James in the Bible. This guy was an apostle and was the brother of Peter (aka Simon). Oh...and there is another guy who is an apostle named James and there is James the brother of Jesus. Hopefully by the end of this study we will have this James figured out.

Lord, thank you for giving us your word so we can learn about people of faith who worked with Jesus on the earth. Please help us to gain wisdom and insight from this study. Amen

Matthew 28:18-20 - Bible Study Challenge Day 7

18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Question 1 - Where are the lost?

They are everywhere, all nations, including those who live near us.

Question 2 - How can we reach them?

We can reach them by teaching them to obey everything God commands. We have to seek out people in the world. Find people who are struggling and looking for answers. If we live as a Christian example, some people may come to us looking for the reason for our joy and faith.

Question 3 - Why do we not seek them out?

Fear. We are scared people will say no and think we are bugging them. They might think we are a hypocrite if we say we are a Christian, yet are not perfect. We might be sacred they will ask something we don't know the answer to. 

Lord, thank you for trusting us with this commission. Please help us to go out and make disciples. Amen. 

Matthew 5:13-16 - Bible Study Challenge Day 6

“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.  “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

John liked The Message version of part of verse 13 "You’re here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth."

Question 1 - Why was salt so important when this was written?
(This one is all John!) Because salt preserved food.  All through history the availability of salt has been pivotal to civilization. The word "salary" comes from the Latin word for salt because the Roman Legions were sometimes paid in salt, which was quite literally worth its weight in gold. In Britain, the suffix "-wich" in a placename means it was once a source of salt, as in Sandwich and Norwich.

Question 2 - How will you let your light shine this week?
John said he is giving platelets and sharing his good health with others. I enjoy writing this blog and posting only uplifting things on Facebook. Another way we both let our light shine is at work. He works with college students and I work with seniors with memory care issues and we both have co-workers. I think the people we work with know us better than most people because we go through so much together and reveal our true selves to them. Our reactions to situations are key in showing who we really are and letting our light shine or not.

Question 3 - How can someone's seeing your Christian example help them to glorify Christ?
When we are open about our Christianity, there are others around us who may also be Christians, but are not as open with their faith. We give them the OK to act like a Christian, that they are not going to be belittled or persecuted for their beliefs. They are comfortable talking to us about faith and this may encourage us both to grow stronger and more bold in glorifying Christ.

Lord, thank you for making us salt to season and light to shine. Please help us to use our saltiness and light to glorify you. Amen.

Matthew 6:19-24 - Bible Study Challenge Day 5

19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!

24 “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

Question 1 - What treasures do we lay up here on earth?
Out treasures can be stuff. We fill our lives and houses with stuff. In the last few day I have spent a bunch of money on a bunch of stuff. It is easy to find our value in the stuff we purchase. Our treasures may be the things/activities we give our time and effort to, especially if it is more time and effort than we give to God. Our treasure may be our savings or retirement account. It's good to think ahead, be prepared and plan to take care of ourselves when we retire, but investments can fail, big expenses can drain us financially and all can be lost. We must be careful we are putting our trust and value in God, not our savings.

Question 2 - How can we keep the light in us?
We are a vessel for light. The more broken we are, the more light gets out to share with the world. We must fill our vessel daily/hourly through prayer, study and meditation, by believing and trusting in God.

Question 3 - Who or what competes to be our master?
So many things!!! Anything we obey rather than God. This could be our job, spouse, children, presidents, food and other addictions, money, etc...

Matthew 23:25-28 - Bible Study Challenge Day 4

“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.  “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.

Question 1 - How are we guilty of only cleaning the outside* of the cup?
We look the part of Christians and we want others to think well of us, Our body/actions project one image and our minds maybe another. We may have hidden sin we don't want anyone to know about. Maybe we focus on "Checklist Christianity" and do all the right things, but we have not allowed God to really pierce our heart.

Question 2 - Where do we show greed and self-indulgence?
Too much of too much...food, money, stuff, coffee, business, work, co-dependency on others, drugs, alcohol, etc... We focus on what "I want." This is dangerous because we can argue and convince ourselves anything is OK. Moderation is the key.

Question 3 - How can we be righteous inside and out?
The scripture says, "First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean." If we are focusing on God and allowing the spirit to work in our hearts and minds, then we won't have to worry about our appearance to others. We will look like a Christian because we are a Christian.

Lord, thank you for helping us to evaluate ourselves. Please keep our minds focused on you and your will, so that your spirit can impact our heart and mind, Amen.

*I think the author meant outside, not inside.

Matthew 5:11-12 - Bible Study Challenge Day 3

“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Question 1 - How are we persecuted as Christians today?

We are persecuted when our government creates laws which do not allow us to follow our beliefs, when people make fun of our lifestyle and when we loose out on jobs and opportunities because of our faith.

Question 2 - What are the blessings that come from persecution?

Our openly displayed faith may not make us popular, but that may help keep us away from some temptations. Also, some doors may be shut because of our beliefs, but God will open other doors. The world may not acknowledge our sacrifice, but Heaven and God applaud us when we are persecuted.

Question 3 - How can we rejoice and be glad in the face of persecution?
We can know we are doing the right thing and that it is God they are rejecting, not us. We can be proud that people are noticing that we are Christians!

Lord, thank you for helping us to see the blessings in persecutions. Please help us to let our light shine and not be concerned about the negative consequences, Amen.

Matthew 11:16-19 - Bible Study Challenge Day 2

Read Matthew 11:16-19.

Question 1 - What was the relationship between John the Baptist and Jesus? (Luke 1:20-56)
They were cousins. John was a few months older and sent by God to prepare the people for the coming of Christ Jesus. John preached in the wilderness and baptized for repentance. Jesus was the son of God and provided salvation for all.

Question 2 - What would you compare our generation to?
This generation is all about instant gratification. We don't want to wait for anything.

Question 3 - What would a modern day comparison of a "drunkard" and "tax collector" be? Should we befriend them? Why or why not?
Modern day comparisons might be drug addicts and con-men or white collar criminals. If we are strong enough in our faith to resist the sins they are partaking in, then we may be called to associate with one of these groups of people in an effort to share the gospel with them (being in the world, but not of the world). I think we have to be careful to help when God is ready for us to help, but not enable them by "over-helping" when they face problems.

Lord, Thank you for being patient with us. Help us to wait for you and your will in all aspects of life. Amen.

Matthew 26:36-42 - Bible Study Challenge Day 1

This morning at church, our minister issued us a challenge: A Seven Day Family Bible Study. I study most mornings and post here on my blog, so this week my blog will serve to answer this challenge.
Each day, my husband John and I will read the verses and answer the questions listed in the study. I challenge you to read along with us and answer the questions for yourself before reading our thoughts. Day one is below.

Question 1 - Why was Jesus sorrowful?
Jesus knew what was about to happen. He knew the pain and agony he was going to feel, physically and spiritually. He knew what he was going to have to deal with, yet he was willing to do God's will.

Question 2 - How does Jesus teach obedience in this passage?
He is willing to do what God requires, even if he doesn't want to. He wants to follows God's will not his. He prays for a way to change the situation, but is accepting of God's plan.

Question 3 - When was a time you prayed to God like Jesus does here?
We both thought of times when we were praying for children. Parents love their children and want good things for them, but sometimes we have to allow God to work in their lives, which may may be hard for them and difficult for us to watch.

Lord, thank you for showing us such an example of obedience from your son. Please help us to always accept your will. Amen.

 

Matthew 11:28-30 - Gentleness from Jesus

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

In this verse, Jesus provides an example of gentleness. It is not only reassuring for his followers, but an model for them to imitate. 

Lord, thank you for your son and his example of gentleness. Please help us to rest from our burdens as we take up the yoke of Christ.  Amen.

Matthew 13:23 - What does it mean to be good?

But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”

In my study on goodness, we discussed what good means by looking at the good soil in the parable of the sower. The good soil or Christian is:

• Productive - produces a crop, uses talents and abilities, shares the good news
• Prepared - receptive, hears, understands, tilled, is rich in nutrients, has enough water, spiritual knowledge and depth
• Unencumbered - free of weeds and rocks, unshackled by life's concerns
• Valuable - is useful to the kingdom and adds value to it

On the opposite side, the good soil or good Christian is not:

Lord, thank you for giving us an excellent example of what "good" is. Please help us to live up to this example and be useful in your kingdom. Amen.

Matthew 16:15-16

 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

I heard a great sermon Sunday with this verse as the focus.  The speaker reminded us that regardless of what is happening in the world around us, the important question is "Who do you say I am?" We can't control the choices and beliefs of others, but we can control our choices and beliefs.

Lord,  Jesus is the Messiah, your Son. Amen.