Sun, Aug 31st - 5:05PM

Matthew 19:1-12

 1And it came to pass, that when Jesus had finished these sayings, he departed from Galilee, and came into the coasts of Judaea beyond Jordan;

 2And great multitudes followed him; and he healed them there.

 3The Pharisees also came unto him, tempting him, and saying unto him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause?

 4And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female,

 5And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?

 6Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.

 7They say unto him, Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away?

 8He saith unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so.

 9And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery.

 10His disciples say unto him, If the case of the man be so with his wife, it is not good to marry.

 11But he said unto them, All men cannot receive this saying, save they to whom it is given.

 12For there are some eunuchs, which were so born from their mother's womb: and there are some eunuchs, which were made eunuchs of men: and there be eunuchs, which have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake. He that is able to receive it, let him receive it.

Marriage has become a hotbed issue as of late here we have Jesus very words own marriage.  The two male and female shall come together and become one flesh.  What God has united let no man separate except for adultery.  In God’s eyes adultery is betraying that which God has brought together and the injured party has a right to separate from that person who has betrayed that union.  One thing you will notice whenever marriage is talked about in the Bible it is always between a man and a woman.  That was God’s intent for marriage from the beginning.  Only in modern times have man try to twist the words of the Bible around to include homosexual marriages.

Sat, Aug 30th - 2:41PM

Matthew 18:21-35

 21Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?

 22Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.

 23Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants.

 24And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents.

 25But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made.

 26The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.

 27Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt.

 28But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest.

 29And his fellowservant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.

 30And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt.

 31So when his fellowservants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done.

 32Then 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:

 33Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee?

 34And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him.

 35So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.

As Christians all of our sins are forgiven.  God has shown mercy to us and has wiped the slate clean.  We didn’t deserve this mercy and we didn’t earn it.  It is a gift from God.  This is forgiveness and this is what this parable is about, forgiveness.  We are going to be wronged many times in this life and if you live your life always looking to even the score it is going to eat you up inside.  It is hard but some things you just have to let go.  As Christians we suppose to always being showing the love of God.  There are always going to be people who mistreat other people but we just have to remember that we have a loving God that watches out for us and in the end everybody gets what they deserve.  So you forgive them and let God be their judge.

Fri, Aug 29th - 3:25PM

Matthew 18:15-20

15Moreover 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.

 16But 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.

 17And 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.

 18Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

 19Again 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.

 20For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

One thing that shouldn’t be in the church is division.  Jesus says if a brother offends you discuss it with him.  If he want hear you then take it first to two or three witnesses and then to the church.  Paul teaches that are civil matters should be taken care of within the church without getting outsiders involved.  It is an awful thing when petty disputes ripes a church apart.  It is something I have seen happen in two different churches.  One of the churches lost its pastor and the other a large part of its congregation.  As Jesus says a house divided cannot stand and it is certain it can’t do the Lord’s work when its members are arguing with one another.  What I am talking about is disputes over things like funds, events, and other little things that shouldn’t be allowed to tear people apart.  But if a member of the church or a group of members are trying to promote a false doctrine inside of the church then they should be confronted and if they refuse to stop then they need to be asked to leave.  False doctrine is a cancer that if not stopped just grows until it consumes all of the good within the body.

Verse 20 I think is one of the best arguments for church attendance.  A lot of Christians want to argue they can be good Christians at home on Sunday also.  That may be true but you are missing a lot of benefits of church attendance when you do and verse 20 is one of them.

Thu, Aug 28th - 11:15PM

Matthew 18:10-14

10Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven.

 11For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost.

 12How think ye? if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray?

 13And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went not astray.

 14Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish.

Jesus came to earth to save those that were lost by dying on the cross for our sins.  His will is not that any should perish but have life through him.  That is why as the Good Shepherd he rejoices over every lost sheep that is found and brought back into the fold of the living.

Wed, Aug 27th - 9:37PM

Matthew 18:1-9

 1At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?

 2And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them,

 3And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.

 4Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

 5And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me.

 6But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.

 7Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh!

 8Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast them from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire.

 9And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire.

The Disciples had been arguing about which one of them was the greatest, Jesus uses a child as an example as the type of follower they should be.  Humble and without selfish ambition.  Then Jesus goes on to warn the consequences of harming such as these.  He is not only referring to children but other Christians.  Jesus says people will sin but woe unto the person that causes others to sin.  Jesus says it would be better to drown yourself in the sea then to cause others to sin and face the judgment of God.  Now Jesus aint telling anybody to go out and drown themselves he is illustrating a point.  If you cause other believers to fall by tempting them with sin, teaching false doctrine, or any other means that might cause them to fall away you are going to face the wrath of God.  Jesus goes on to say if part of your body causes you to sin then cut it off because it would be better to enter heaven without some body parts then to go to hell in a full body.  Once again Jesus aint saying to start wacking off body parts he is illustrating a point.  Whatever causes you to sin you need to put it out of your life before it drags you to hell with it.

Tue, Aug 26th - 1:46PM

Matthew 17:24-27

24: And when they were come to Capernaum, they that received tribute money came to Peter, and said, Doth not your master pay tribute?
   25: He saith, Yes. And when he was come into the house, Jesus prevented him, saying, What thinkest thou, Simon? of whom do the kings of the earth take custom or tribute? of their own children, or of strangers?
   26: Peter saith unto him, Of strangers. Jesus saith unto him, Then are the children free.
   27: Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them, go thou to the sea, and cast an hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money: that take, and give unto them for me and thee.

Here we see Peter speaking before thinking once again.  They were asked for tribute money for the Temple of God.  Jesus points out as the Son of God he was not required to pay the money but since Peter had promised to pay he instructed Peter to go to the sea and catch a fish and inside would be a coin to pay both of their taxes.  Jesus could of just ordered him to pay the tax but to once again to confirm his divine natural to Peter he performed a miracle to ensure that Peter understood who he was.

Mon, Aug 25th - 1:24PM

Matthew 17:14-23

   14: And when they were come to the multitude, there came to him a certain man, kneeling down to him, and saying,
   15: Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is lunatick, and sore vexed: for ofttimes he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water.
   16: And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him.
   17: Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him hither to me.
   18: And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour.
   19: Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out?
   20: And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.
   21: Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.
   22: And while they abode in Galilee, Jesus said unto them, The Son of man shall be betrayed into the hands of men:
   23: And they shall kill him, and the third day he shall be raised again. And they were exceeding sorry.

The world doesn’t understand faith.  They don’t understand that the beliefs of the Christian are based on faith.  We are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.  We have faith that there is a God that created the world.  We have faith that Jesus is the divine Son of God, born of a virgin, that he lived a sinless life, that he died on the cross for our sins, that he rose from the grave on the third day and that he will come back again someday.  We have faith that the Bible is the word of God.  We have faith that our lives are in his hands and that he knows our needs and that he provide for our needs not our wants.  We have faith that he is with us through the storms of live. That he is with us through the good times and the bad.  That he will lead us in the path that is right for our lives and our family’s lives.  Whatsoever we asked of the Father we have to have faith that he is able to do all things and that he hears us and cares and loves us.  And Jesus says if we have faith we can move mountains.  Satan fears our faith because he knows with faith in God we will overcome his evil desires and his evil plans.  As the Bible says without faith it is impossible to please God.  The Christian that doubts the Bible, doubts God does so because they lack faith.  How can we increase our faith?  The Bible says that faith comes from hearing the word of God.  If you don’t have a close relationship with God then your faith will be weak.  Study his word daily, pray often, put your cares upon him because he cares for us that is how you get close to God and the closer you get to God the stronger your faith will be.

Sun, Aug 24th - 4:12PM

Matthew 17:1-13

 1: And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart,
   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.
   4: Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias.
   5: While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.
   6: And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their face, and were sore afraid.
   7: And Jesus came and touched them, and said, Arise, and be not afraid.
   8: And when they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no man, save Jesus only.
   9: And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying, Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen again from the dead.
   10: And his disciples asked him, saying, Why then say the scribes that Elias must first come?
   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.

Jesus takes them up to a high mountain and was transfigured before them and Moses and Elijah appears before them and then God speaks.  Jesus is about to be crucified and the Apostles are about to go through a very difficult time.  Moses, Elijah, and then God was confirming who Jesus was to strengthen the Apostles faith through this difficult times because after the death of Christ it will rest on these men to spread the Gospel of Christ.  Jesus wasn’t saying that John the Baptist was actually Elijah but he was saying that John came in the spirit and power of Elijah. (see Luke 1:17) 

Sun, Aug 24th - 12:01AM

Matthew 16:21-28

21From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.

 22Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee.

 23But he turned, and said unto Peter, 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.

 24Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

 25For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.

 26For 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?

 27For 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.

 28Verily 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.

Just a few moments ago Jesus is praising Peter for his confession of faith but now he is calling him Satan.  Peter of course wasn’t actually Satan but anybody that stands in the way of the gospel is doing the work of Satan.  Christ came to earth for one reason and one reason only.  To die for our sins that through him we will have the forgiveness of sins.  Peter still didn’t understand that. 

Jesus said if we want to follow him we must deny ourselves and follow him for what profits a man to gain the whole world and to lose his soul.  As Christians our priority in life is suppose to being serving Christ.  It should come before all things.  We know we also have other things in our lives. Family, jobs, the day to day things of life that takes up our time but serving Christ is suppose to be first.  According to God anything you put before him is an idol.

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Fri, Aug 22nd - 5:01PM

Matthew 16:13-20

13: When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?
   14: And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets.
   15: He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?
   16: And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.
   17: And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.
   18: 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.
   20: Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ.

What or who did Jesus claim he will build his church on?  Was it Peter himself or his confession of faith?  Although some believe it was Peter himself I believe it is Peter’s confession of faith.  Jesus is the rock of the church, the chief cornerstone.  Peter’s confession of faith is the foundation of the Christian church, that Christ is the Son of God.  Satan is going to try and destroy that foundation but will fail in his attempts.  Even though some believers and churches might fall to false doctrine there will always be a core of believers to proclaim the truth.  The church has survived for 2000 years through some of the darkest days of history and several attempts to destroy the truth with false doctrine.  God’s word will always prevail being carried on by a core of messages of the true gospel of Christ.  Peter wasn’t give actual keys to heaven but him an the other Apostles had the key to heaven, the gospel of Christ to proclaim to the world.

Thu, Aug 21st - 3:46PM

Matthew 16:5-12

5And when his disciples were come to the other side, they had forgotten to take bread.

 6Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.

 7And they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have taken no bread.

 8Which when Jesus perceived, he said unto them, O ye of little faith, why reason ye among yourselves, because ye have brought no bread?

 9Do ye not yet understand, neither remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many baskets ye took up?

 10Neither the seven loaves of the four thousand, and how many baskets ye took up?

 11How is it that ye do not understand that I spake it not to you concerning bread, that ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees?

 12Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.

Jesus warns his disciples to be aware of the doctrine of the Pharisees and the Sadducees.  The Pharisees were the more fundamental of the two.  They put on a big show of being very zealous over the Law of Moses but at the same time they had corrupted the law with their own teachings and traditions.  Jesus mentions several time that even though they appear very zealous for God they were far from him in their hearts.  The Sadducees were the more liberal of the two.  They denied a lot of the supernatural aspects of God such as resurrection, angels, miracles, and the coming judgment of God.  You can still some of each group today in the Church.  A lot of churches have strayed from sound Biblical teaching.  Heck a lot deny the Bible.  We have prosperity preaching, universalism, Christians promoting following the Old Testament Law, New Age beliefs, liberal theology, I talk to a woman the other night that claimed Paul was false teacher, none of which is adheres to the teaching of Christ.  We have strayed so far from the truth I wonder why God tolerates us at all.  The average Christian doesn’t know the Bible or they study the Bible with a humanistic view.  That is where a lot of these false doctrines come from people putting a humanistic stamp on the Gospel.  The Bible is the word of God and if we open our hearts to God the Spirit will make the Bible come alive to us. 

Wed, Aug 20th - 10:17PM

Matthew 16:1-4

 1: The Pharisees also with the Sadducees came, and tempting desired him that he would shew them a sign from heaven.
   2: He answered and said unto them, When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather: for the sky is red.
   3: And in the morning, It will be foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowring. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?
   4: A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas. And he left them, and departed.

The Jewish leaders came to Jesus asking for a sign to prove who he claimed to be.  Jesus had already performed several miracles in front of them and they still didn’t believe already.  There hearts were harden to the truth.  As the Bible says eyes to see but they are blind, ears to hear but they are deaf.  Jesus says the only sign they will receive is the sign of Jonah.  Just as Jonah was in the belly of the whale for three days so shall Jesus be three days in the heart of the earth and will come again.  (see Matthew 12:40).  Jesus did rise again on the third day and they still refused to believe.  And many today are still refusing today even some who claim to be Christian who doubt the resurrection of Jesus.  They all doubt to their own damnation.  As Paul says if Jesus didn’t rise again then our faith is in vain.

Tue, Aug 19th - 3:25PM

Matthew 15:29-39

 29: And Jesus departed from thence, and came nigh unto the sea of Galilee; and went up into a mountain, and sat down there.
   30: And great multitudes came unto him, having with them those that were lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others, and cast them down at Jesus' feet; and he healed them:
   31: Insomuch that the multitude wondered, when they saw the dumb to speak, the maimed to be whole, the lame to walk, and the blind to see: and they glorified the God of Israel.
   32: Then Jesus called his disciples unto him, and said, I have compassion on the multitude, because they continue with me now three days, and have nothing to eat: and I will not send them away fasting, lest they faint in the way.
   33: And his disciples say unto him, Whence should we have so much bread in the wilderness, as to fill so great a multitude?
   34: And Jesus saith unto them, How many loaves have ye? And they said, Seven, and a few little fishes.
   35: And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground.
   36: And he took the seven loaves and the fishes, and gave thanks, and brake them, and gave to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude.
   37: And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the broken meat that was left seven baskets full.
   38: And they that did eat were four thousand men, beside women and children.
   39: And he sent away the multitude, and took ship, and came into the coasts of Magdala,

Once again Jesus feeds a multitude of people and once again his disciples doubted when he ordered them to feed them.  They had seen him performed this miracle before so why were there still doubt in their hearts?  It is easy as humans to try to solve all of our problems in a physical manner.  They seen a physical problem and were looking for a physical solution instead of trusting in Jesus.  As the Bible says all things are possible with God.  When the big problems arise in our lives God wants us to bring our problems to him.  As the Bible says cast all of our cares upon him because he cares for us.

Mon, Aug 18th - 5:01PM

Matthew 15:21-28

 21: Then Jesus went thence, and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon.
   22: And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil.
   23: But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us.
   24: But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
   25: Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me.
   26: But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs.
   27: And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table.
   28: Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.

Jesus brought his message first to the Jews.  Only after his rejection and death by the Jews was the disciples directed to bring the message to the Gentiles.  The Jews were God’s chosen people but again and again they had rejected God.  You can see this over and over again in the Old Testament.  The Jews reject God, God punishes them by allowing another country to conquer them, they turn back to God and God saves them only to have his people reject him again once they are saved and no longer need him.  Once the Jews had rejected his Son God selected a new group of people to call his chosen people.  They are the ones who have accepted his Son Jesus as their Savior.

Sun, Aug 17th - 3:18PM

Matthew 15:1-20

1Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying,

 2Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread.

 3But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?

 4For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death.

 5But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me;

 6And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition.

 7Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying,

 8This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.

 9But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

 10And he called the multitude, and said unto them, Hear, and understand:

 11Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.

 12Then came his disciples, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, after they heard this saying?

 13But he answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up.

 14Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.

 15Then answered Peter and said unto him, Declare unto us this parable.

 16And Jesus said, Are ye also yet without understanding?

 17Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught?

 18But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man.

 19For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:

 20These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man.

The Pharisees put on a big show of following the traditions of the Jewish nation and put on a show of following the law but in reality their heart was not with God.  A lot of church services today are more ritual lead then Spirit led.  They go through the motions of having Sunday services, of singing the same old songs, saying the same old prayers, and delivering a message that is safe and non-offensive.  They have no zeal for God or any type of real relationship with God.  They are spiritual dead.  They are the blind leading the blind.  They don’t truly know God so how can they lead anybody else to God.  God doesn’t care about following some old ritualistic service, he cares about where our heart truly is.  You might fool man but you can’t fool God because God knows our heart.  If your heart is dark that is want is going to come out.  If God is in your heart that is what is going to come out.

Sat, Aug 16th - 4:53PM

Matthew 14:22-36

22And straightway Jesus constrained his disciples to get into a ship, and to go before him unto the other side, while he sent the multitudes away.

 23And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone.

 24But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary.

 25And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea.

 26And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear.

 27But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.

 28And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.

 29And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.

 30But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.

 31And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?

 32And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased.

 33Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God.

 34And when they were gone over, they came into the land of Gennesaret.

 35And when the men of that place had knowledge of him, they sent out into all that country round about, and brought unto him all that were diseased;

 36And besought him that they might only touch the hem of his garment: and as many as touched were made perfectly whole.

This is the story of Jesus and Peter walking on the water.  Jesus was able to walk on the water because he was the Son of God and had power to do so.  Peter walked on the water because he had faith in Jesus that he could until he took his eyes off of Jesus and sank.  Peter was doing fine until he looked around and saw the wind and waves around at which time he became afraid and sank.  Peter was doing fine until he took his eyes off of Jesus at which time fear entered in.  Peter was in the presence of the Son of God he had no reason to fear but when he lost focus on Jesus the human thoughts crept in telling him he is just a man.  A man can’t walk on water, look at those waves you are going to die.  It is in when we take our focus off of Jesus that Satan is able to slip in those thoughts of sin, doubt, and fear.  That is why we taught over and over again to keep our focus on things above not on earthly things.  Satan uses the things of the world and the distraction of everyday life to try and keep us from focusing on God.

Fri, Aug 15th - 10:47PM

Matthew 14:13-23

13: When Jesus heard of it, he departed thence by ship into a desert place apart: and when the people had heard thereof, they followed him on foot out of the cities.
   14: And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick.
   15: And when it was evening, his disciples came to him, saying, This is a desert place, and the time is now past; send the multitude away, that they may go into the villages, and buy themselves victuals.
   16: But Jesus said unto them, They need not depart; give ye them to eat.
   17: And they say unto him, We have here but five loaves, and two fishes.
   18: He said, Bring them hither to me.
   19: And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass, and took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, and brake, and gave the loaves to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude.
   20: And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the fragments that remained twelve baskets full.
   21: And they that had eaten were about five thousand men, beside women and children.
   22: And straightway Jesus constrained his disciples to get into a ship, and to go before him unto the other side, while he sent the multitudes away.
   23: And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone.

To us it would seem impossible to feed so many people with so little but with God all things are possible.  As humans we see the world through human eyes and it is hard to understand these things with human knowledge that is where faith comes in.  For the God that created all things nothing is impossible.

Thu, Aug 14th - 3:35PM

Matthew 14:1-12

1At that time Herod the tetrarch heard of the fame of Jesus,

 2And said unto his servants, This is John the Baptist; he is risen from the dead; and therefore mighty works do shew forth themselves in him.

 3For Herod had laid hold on John, and bound him, and put him in prison for Herodias' sake, his brother Philip's wife.

 4For John said unto him, It is not lawful for thee to have her.

 5And when he would have put him to death, he feared the multitude, because they counted him as a prophet.

 6But when Herod's birthday was kept, the daughter of Herodias danced before them, and pleased Herod.

 7Whereupon he promised with an oath to give her whatsoever she would ask.

 8And she, being before instructed of her mother, said, Give me here John Baptist's head in a charger.

 9And the king was sorry: nevertheless for the oath's sake, and them which sat with him at meat, he commanded it to be given her.

 10And he sent, and beheaded John in the prison.

 11And his head was brought in a charger, and given to the damsel: and she brought it to her mother.

 12And his disciples came, and took up the body, and buried it, and went and told Jesus.

 John the Baptist, the Apostles, and Jesus all lost their lives because they preached righteousness to a sinful, dark, and lost world.  John lost his life because he told Herod he was sinning by living with his brother’s wife.  Herod’s power didn’t sway John because John knew his God was more powerful than Herod.  Herod could kill John physically but Herod could not kill him spiritually.  The world doesn’t want to hear the message of God.  They are enjoying in living in the pleasure of sin and have been fooled into believing there is no consequences for sin. That is why so many react violently to the message of God.  Satan has harden their hearts to the truth and they react violently when their sin is exposed.

Wed, Aug 13th - 4:16PM

Matthew 13:53-58

53And it came to pass, that when Jesus had finished these parables, he departed thence.

 54And when he was come into his own country, he taught them in their synagogue, insomuch that they were astonished, and said, Whence hath this man this wisdom, and these mighty works?

 55Is not this the carpenter's son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas?

 56And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man all these things?

 57And they were offended in him. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, save in his own country, and in his own house.

 58And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief.

The people of Nazareth had a hard time believing Jesus message because they couldn’t get over the fact they thought they knew him.  They knew his humble upbringing and how he was in their eyes just a lowly carpenter’s son.  Even though Jesus didn’t have dark past a lot of us often do.  When we decide to become a Christian is often those closest to us that have a hard accepting the new us.  They tend to remember the old person and can’t believe somebody like us can be a new person.  When I was young I drank a lot, I did drugs, and I spent most of my nights in clubs.  Now that I am older and my stepson is a young man and my oldest son is approaching his teenage years I realize I need to set the example for them.  There was trouble to get into when I was kid but nothing like today.  I am a firm believer that it all starts at home for kids.  We can’t blame the schools or society for our kid’s behavior it is our responsibility as parents to bring our kids up right.  I had always believed in God and went to church when I was young but later on I drifted away and got involved in a lot of things I shouldn’t of had but after I got married I start attending church again but at first I was just going through the motions just showing up on Sunday morning, but slowly I began to get more serious about worshipping God till here I am today.  I start writing this blog just to express the things I felt as I study the Bible.  If people choose to read great but in a lot of ways it is more for me than anything else.  I am in no way perfect, I still have a lot of things to work on in my life but I am happy and blessed with a great family a great job, a house and everything I will ever need and I thank God everyday for it all.

Tue, Aug 12th - 10:27PM

Matthew 13:47-52

47Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind:

 48Which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away.

 49So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just,

 50And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

 51Jesus saith unto them, Have ye understood all these things? They say unto him, Yea, Lord.

 52Then said he unto them, Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old.

Once again Jesus is showing what will happen at the end times.  The wicked will be separated from believers and the wicked will be cast into a furnace of fire.  Some chose to believe there is no hell or no judgment of God and that we are all going to heaven no matter what kind of life we lived.  That is false teaching because Jesus showed over and over again in parables what is in stored for the just and the unjust.

Mon, Aug 11th - 9:16PM

Matthew 13:44-46

44Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.

 45Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls:

 46Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.

Finding the kingdom of heaven is the greatest treasure ever.  It is to be sought above all things.  Notice both men in this parable sold all that they have to purchase this treasure.  We can’t buy the kingdom of heaven and Jesus aint saying we should sell all that we have but he is saying it should sought above all things.

Sun, Aug 10th - 3:13PM

Matthew 13:36-41

36Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field.

 37He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man;

 38The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one;

 39The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels.

 40As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world.

 41The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity;

 42And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

 43Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.

Here Jesus explains the parable of the tares to his disciples.  Verses 40-43 explains what awaits those who have rejected God.  They will be gathered up and cast into the furnace of fire or hell.  A lot of people reject the idea of the coming judgment of God or the idea of place called hell.  Well they do so at their own peril because God’s judgment and punishment of the wicked is explained several times in the Bible. 

Sat, Aug 9th - 4:11PM

Matthew 13:31-35

 31Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field:

 32Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof.

 33Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.

 34All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them:

 35That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world.

The mustard seed represents the small beginning of the Christian church.  It starts out small like a mustard seed but grows into a mighty tree.  In the parables of Jesus leaven often represented corruption, such as when Jesus warned the disciples to be aware of the leaven of the Pharisees.  A little bit of corruption ruins the whole lump.  Jesus warns as the church begins to get larger corruption will entered in.  Which is what happened the primitive church branched off into several different branches some of which have forsaken the doctrine of the scriptures for the teaching of man.  Any church that does not recognize the authority of the scriptures and promotes the teaching of man over God’s word is false.  There are a lot of churches of today that have forsaken God’s word to appeal to today’s society especially on issues such as homosexuality and abortion.  Well I hope they enjoy the approval of man over the approval of God.  

Fri, Aug 8th - 2:28PM

Matthew 13:24-30

24Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field:

 25But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.

 26But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.

 27So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares?

 28He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?

 29But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them.

 30Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.

In this parable by Jesus the wheat are believers and the tares or weeds are unbelievers.  God sowed the wheat while the enemy or Satan sowed the tares.  The word of God is the good seed while the works of Satan is the seed of the tares.  At the harvest or at the end God will reap the harvest, the tares for judgment, the wheat into his kingdom. 

Tue, Aug 5th - 9:22PM

Matthew 13:1-23

1The same day went Jesus out of the house, and sat by the sea side.

 2And great multitudes were gathered together unto him, so that he went into a ship, and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore.

 3And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow;

 4And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up:

 5Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth:

 6And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.

 7And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them:

 8But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.

 9Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.

 10And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?

 11He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.

 12For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.

 13Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.

 14And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:

 15For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.

 16But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.

 17For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.

 18Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower.

 19When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side.

 20But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it;

 21Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.

 22He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.

 23But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.

This is the parable of the sower.  In this parable Jesus describes four different types of people.  The first is the seed that fell along the path.  This person hears the word but doesn’t understand and it never takes root and Satan snatches the seed away.  The second is the seed that fell in the rocky places.  This is the person who receives the word but doesn’t allow it to take root.  This person lasts until he hits hard times and he loses faith and turns away.  Next is the seed that fell among the thorns.  This man receives the word but the cares of the world prevent him from being fruitful.  Last is the seed that fell in good ground.  This man allows the word to take root and is fruitful.  So what kind of seed are you?  Are you fruitful or unfruitful?  Do you have strong roots in the word of God or will you fall away in the first storm of trouble?  Are you the person in verse 13?  You have eyes but don’t see, you have ears but don’t hear and you don’t understand.  Have you closed you eyes and harden your heart?  Or are you the person in verse 16?  You see and hear the truth and are fruitful for God.

Mon, Aug 4th - 9:50PM

Matthew 12:46-50

46While he yet talked to the people, behold, his mother and his brethren stood without, desiring to speak with him.

 47Then one said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to speak with thee.

 48But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren?

 49And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren!

 50For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.

Atheist like to use these verses to say Jesus was rejecting his own family which is garbage.  Mary followed Jesus all the way to his death and afterwards.  James the brother of Jesus was one of the early leaders in the Christian church.  Jesus was using this opportunity to talk about the family of God.  Who is in the family of God?  According to verse 50 it is those who do the will of God.  What is the will of God?  That we accept Jesus as Lord and Savior and follow his commandments.

Sun, Aug 3rd - 4:02PM

Matthew 12:38-45

38Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee.

 39But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas:

 40For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

 41The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here.

 42The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here.

 43When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none.

 44Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished.

 45Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation.

The Pharisees demanded to see a sign from Jesus to prove he was who he claimed to be.  Well Jesus told them the only sign they will receive was the sign of Jonah.  Jonah was sent to the city of Nineveh to warn them to repent.  Nineveh had become so evil that God was ready to render judgment on that city but after hearing the message of Jonah they did repent and God spared them.  This is the only sign that the Pharisees would receive Jesus warning them to repent and this is the only sign the present generation will receive.  A message sent from God by his servants to repent or receive judgment.  Jesus goes on to warn the fate of those who have become clean and then allows evil back into their lives.  Their end state is worse than it was to begin with.  They have received the message of God and than turned their backs on God.

Sat, Aug 2nd - 1:03PM

Matthew 12:22-37

22Then was brought unto him one possessed with a devil, blind, and dumb: and he healed him, insomuch that the blind and dumb both spake and saw.

 23And all the people were amazed, and said, Is not this the son of David?

 24But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils.

 25And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand:

 26And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand?

 27And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your children cast them out? therefore they shall be your judges.

 28But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you.

 29Or else how can one enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house.

 30He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad.

 31Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men.

 32And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.

 33Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit.

 34O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.

 35A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.

 36But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.

 37For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.

There is spiritual warfare going on all around us.  It is a war between God and the forces of Satan.  It is a war with no neutrals.  You are either with him or against him.  You can’t play both sides and you can’t sit on the sidelines.  If you aint working for God then you are working for Satan. 

The Holy Spirit is the one that bears witness of Christ and if you reject his witness you can’t be saved and hence you are going to die in your sin.

You are either a good tree or a bad tree and your fruit will determine the type of tree that you are.  You might fool man but you can’t fool God.  God knows every man’s heart and the fruit that he bears.  If a man is good he will bear good fruit or in other words he will produce Godly fruit or results but if he is living in darkness he will produce bad fruit or in other words things not of God.

Out of the heart the mouth speaks.  In other words if all that comes out of your mouth is vile, lewd things then that is what is in your heart and it is not the fruit of God but Satan and you will stand before God and give account for your ways and it will be your words that condemn you.  But if you have God in your heart then that is what should becoming out your mouth and people should be able to see the work of God through you and your words will acquit you before God.

Fri, Aug 1st - 12:44PM

Matthew 12:15-21

15: But when Jesus knew it, he withdrew himself from thence: and great multitudes followed him, and he healed them all;
   16: And charged them that they should not make him known:
   17: That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying,
   18: Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall shew judgment to the Gentiles.
   19: He shall not strive, nor cry; neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets.
   20: A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send forth judgment unto victory.
   21: And in his name shall the Gentiles trust.

Jesus came not to just to bring salvation to the Jews but the whole world.  The first covenant was a covenant between God and the Hebrews.  Christ death on the cross established a covenant between God and the world.  Jesus by dying on the cross brought salvation to the world but it is a salvation that we must accept.  A large part of the world has rejected this salvation and still live in the darkness of sin.