Doc's Musings

NKJV PERSONAL SIZE LARGE PRINT PREMIUM GOATSKIN LEATHER BIBLE REVIEW

2023-08-28T11:10:00.002-04:00

I am writing a review of the NKJV Personal Size Large Print, End of Verse Reference, Premium Goatskin Leather Bible from Thomas Nelson Publishers. This Bible was sent to me for review by Bible Gateway for free as a member of the Bible Gateway Blogger Grid (#BibleGatewayPartner).

This Bible is a part of the Thomas Nelson Premium Bible Publications. The overall size of this Large Print Bible is surprisingly compact. The type size was excellent (Thomas Nelson NKJV Typeface that was created at the 2K/DENMARK type foundry. I have found it easy to read, both in style and size. I have been using it to preach from and it is perfect to see and read from the Pulpit.

This Bible includes the NKJV section headings, and the references are listed at the end of the verse. I personally would have liked a few more references, but these were adequate. There is a 42-page Concordance (small type) and 5 pages of full-color maps at the back.

Some versions of the NKJV use paragraph form with the verses gathered in paragraph style, making it hard to find a single verse quickly at times when reading it from the Pulpit. This Bible has them in the traditional manner of each verse starting at the left of the column. For preaching, teaching, and general study - this allows one to find what they are seeking easily.

The Premium Goatskin Leather cover was soft, flexible, and well-bound. It has a luxurious look and feel to the touch. There are three ribbon markers that are handy for marking your place. If one is looking for a large print NKJV Bible - this one fills the bill.

I most heartily recommend and endorse this Bible to anyone, and especially to those who are preaching and teaching. You can find this Bible in Christian Bookstores, on Amazon, and at the FaithGateway Store. Order your copy today.

The NKJV Thompson Chain-Reference Bible Study System,

2021-07-06T14:53:00.001-04:00

I am writing a review of the Thompson Chain-Reference Bible from Zondervan Publishers. I was sent this Bible to review by Bible Gateway for free as a member of BG² (#BibleGatewayPartner). The Thompson Chain-Reference System had its start in 1890 by Dr. Frank Clark Thompson. It has gone through many revisions and updates with recent research and new methods of compilation. I received the Hardcover edition from Bible Gateway to review.

I first became aware of the Thompson Chain-Reference Bible in the 1907’s when I received one as a gift from my wife. It was the King James version, and I preached from it for many years. My copy has notes on almost every page from my sermons. In the 1980’s I bought a copy of the NIV Chain-Reference. It also became a standard go-to in my study and research for sermons and Bible lessons. The Thompson Study System allows a student of the Word to follow a topic from Genesis to Revelation. This edition has over 8,000 topical listings utilizing over 100,000 marginal references. I have found it over the years to be a virtual mini-library of information to aid in study, sermon preparation, and personal devotion.

I was very much impressed by this 1997 update of a very familiar friend. Dr. John Jauchen was the Editor that worked to update this version. This new and expanded edition has many enhancements aided by the use of computer technology of today. Some of the changes include renaming the two indexes to better describe their function – the Alphabetical index and the numerical index. The editors of this version worked to complete the Chains to include both the Old Testament and the New Testament. They also worked to make all the names of the Chains consistent. One of the most valuable parts of the Helps was and is the Analyses of the Books of the Bible. In this edition, they have been standardized in their method of study and presentation.,

The Bible Helps is made up of over 75 practical study aides. I have mentioned the Alphabetical and Numerical Indexes, the outline studies of the Books of the Bible already, there are also Biblical Character studies, Harmonies (such as the Life of Joshua, Gideon, David, the Gospels, Paul’s Missionary Journeys, Golden Chapters, Hebrew times, seasons, and festivals, and Memory Verses) to help with personal study and lesson preparation. There is a supplement with Archeological research and findings, not to mention 14 full-color maps to guide one to see the places that the Bible took place.

Having made the Thompson Chain-Reference Bible Study System a major part of my first-stop in Sermon and Course preparation, I must heartily endorse this system to anyone who wants to study deeper and prepare broader in your Biblical knowledge. You can find this Bible in many Christian Book stores and online at the FaithGateway Store.

A Time for a Sabbath Rest

2021-03-01T05:00:00.002-05:00

TEXT: Mark 6:31 (NASB) - "And He said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a secluded place and rest awhile.” (For there were many people coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.)

From January 2018 through the end of February 2021, I have been lead by the Lord to write these daily blogs - "Doc's Musings." I have posted them faithfully on Facebook for many to read and be encouraged, challenged, and grow from these words. I have been blessed by the numerous comments over these years, and have let God moving in using these in many lives.

After much prayer, meditation, and searching of the Father's heart, I feel that the above verse has been given to me at this time. He has opened many doors of opportunity to me and has led me into many new challenges and blessings.

Having said that, I believe that at this point in time, God is calling me to take a hiatus from the production of these devotional and instructive thoughts. I pray that one day soon He will lead me back into this ministry for Him. These have all been written to bring Him honor and glory. I praise His Name for using me this way. May all praise, honor, and glory be given to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and may we one day share together again.

To go back and read some of the previous posts I have written, please feel free to go to my Blog - Doc's Musings - at:

http://tfmarshall.blogspot.com

God bless.

The Gospel and the Kingdom - Matthew - The Conversation Down the Mountain

2021-02-28T05:00:00.001-05:00

TEXT: Matthew 17:9-13 – “Now as they came down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying, “Tell the vision to no one until the Son of Man is risen from the dead.” ¹⁰And His disciples asked Him, saying, “Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?”

¹¹Jesus answered and said to them, “Indeed, Elijah is coming first and will restore all things. ¹²But I say to you that Elijah has come already, and they did not know him but did to him whatever they wished. Likewise the Son of Man is also about to suffer at their hands.” ¹³Then the disciples understood that He spoke to them of John the Baptist.”

We are going to continuing in Chapter 17 today. In this chapter, we saw yesterday that God confirms Peter’s earlier acknowledgment of the deity of Christ with the Transfiguration on the mountaintop. This of course created a series of thoughts, concerns, and questions. So today we will consider their conversation as they came down from the mountain-top.

We are first told of the Command in verse.9. Jesus told them to not share what they saw until His Resurrection. Of course, the disciples then express their Confusion, they want to know if Elijah would come before the return of the Messiah? They are getting the picture that Jesus is teaching He is the Messiah, however, it did conflict with their understanding of the Scriptures.

So, Jesus gives His Clarification of what the Scriptures were teaching. His answer was in two parts:

Vs. 11 – Elijah will indeed come
Vs. 12 – Elijah has already come

It was then that the Disciples came to an understanding in verse 13, what He was showing them. They understood that he is referring to John the Baptist.

So, how do we apply this account to ourselves today? Let me give you two quick takeaways.

First, we have learned that Jesus is the Beloved of the Father.
So, the pertinent question for you and me today is, “Who is Jesus to you?” If asked who He is, what would you answer? Do you truly understand who Jesus was and is?

So, ponder today exactly what your answer would be.

The Gospel and the Kingdom - Matthew - The Confirmation on the Mountain

2021-02-27T05:00:00.001-05:00

TEXT: Matthew 17:1-8 – “¹Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves; ²and He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light. ³And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him. ⁴Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, let us make here three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”

⁵While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!” ⁶And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their faces and were greatly afraid. ⁷But Jesus came and touched them and said, “Arise, and do not be afraid.” ⁸When they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only.”

We are going to start Chapter 17 today. In this chapter, we see that God confirms Peter’s earlier acknowledgment of the deity of Christ with the Transfiguration on the mountaintop.

Jesus takes Peter, James, and John with Him. (vs.1) Jesus did have twelve disciples in whom He strategically invested. However, He also had three disciples that He took to a different level than the twelve. Peter, James and John might well be considered the inner circle of the original twelve disciples.

A quick survey of the Gospels reveals that there were some places that Jesus only took Peter, James, and John. He did not take the twelve everywhere He went. How and why Jesus took these three to places where he did not take the other nine we will never know. The fact remains that Jesus took Peter, James, and John to places He didn’t take everyone else.

If you read the Book of Acts, the only disciples mentioned out of the original twelve are Peter, James, and John. It appears that they took leadership responsibility after Jesus left that the other nine did not take.

Peter preaches at Pentecost.
Peter and John heal the lame beggar while going into the temple.
Peter and John are brought before the Jewish council.
Peter and John were sent to the Samaritans when they received the Holy Spirit.
James is killed by Herod in Acts chapter twelve.

None of the other disciples are mentioned in the Book of Acts, leading us to believe that the fact Jesus spent more time with them was preparing them for more responsibility than the rest.

So, here is the question of the day is "Who are your three?"

Who are the individuals you are pouring your life into at a deeper level than anyone else?
Who are the individuals you are taking places in ministry that you don’t take anyone else and who are you giving more responsibility to?
Who is in your inner circle?

So, in verses 1-3 we are shown what they see. The Appearance of God’s Messiah (vs. 2). His face and clothing shine like the noon-day sun. The Greek word translated transfigured metamorphoō means to change into another form, to transform, to transfigure. His clothes were perfectly white – bright as light. What the disciples were privileged to see was Christ shown not in His humiliation, but in His glory.

They also saw the arrival of God’s messengers – Moses and Elijah appear and speak to Jesus. (vs.3). Why these two? To the Jews (remember who Matthew is writing to) Moses stood for the Law, and Elijah stood for the Prophets. In other words, all the Old Testament Scriptures. Jesus came to fulfill the Scriptures, not take them away.

In verse 4 we observe what the disciples say – They want to build 3 shelters (tents) for these important people. While Peter has made this suggestion, all the Disciples hear the Father speak from Heaven declaring His love for His Son. (vs.5) When this happens, we read what the Disciples did (vs. 6-8). They are driven prostrate and were greatly afraid – they have heard the voice of God. (vs. 6). However, Jesus comes and reassures them (vs. 7). And when they looked up – there was no one there now except Jesus.

So, as we could imagine, this prompted what we will consider tomorrow, their conversation coming down the mountain.

The Gospel and the Kingdom - Matthew - The Rewards of Being a True Disciple

2021-02-26T05:00:00.002-05:00

TEXT: Matthew 16:27-28 – ²⁷For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works. ²⁸Assuredly, I say to you, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.”

We are finishing up our study in Chapter 16 today. In this chapter, we saw that Jesus refuses to give the Pharisees a sign to prove His divine identity. Also, we saw Him warn His disciples to beware of the Pharisee's false teachings. And ending our study with Peter correctly identifying who Jesus is. As we continue, today we pondered over Jesus Reminder, Revelation, Rebukes, and the Requirements. Let’s end on a high note of the REWARDS for being a true disciple.

He starts with the general rewards of all of Jesus’ disciples (vs.27).

This will occur at His Second Coming. We read from the Apostle Paul in 2 Cor. 5:10 – “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each may be repaid for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.” This judgment is not about Salvation, but rewards for our service. Every disciple or follower of Christ will go through this.

It is often called The Bema Seat. Paul describes this for us in 1 Cor. 3:12-15 –

“If anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay, or straw, each one’s work will become obvious. For the day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire; the fire will test the quality of each one’s work. If anyone’s work that he has built survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned up, he will experienceloss, but he himself will be saved—but only as through fire.”

Jesus does make a reference to a specific reward that will go to three of Jesus' disciples (vs.28) – Peter, James, and John will soon be allowed to witness the transfiguration of Christ (next chapter).

So, how do we apply this account to ourselves today?

We need to stop and look truthfully at ourselves. How do we measure up to the requirements of a true disciple? Do we daily:

Deny ourselves?
Take up our cross?
Follow Him?

Yes, I asked these same questions yesterday, but that is because they are vital questions that we must truthfully answer. Not just a casual glance. Not just a nod in their direction. But do we daily seek to be a true follower of Jesus Christ? And if we do, there are rewards in the life to come.

The Gospel and the Kingdom - Matthew - The Rebukes and the Requirements

2021-02-25T05:00:00.002-05:00

TEXT: Matthew 16:22-26 – “²²Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!” ²³But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.” ²⁴Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. ²⁵For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. ²⁶For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?”

We are in Chapter 16 again today. In this chapter, we have seen that Jesus again refuses to give the Pharisees a sign to prove His divine identity. Also, we will see Him warn His disciples to beware of the Pharisee's false teachings. And end our study with Peter correctly identifying who Jesus is. This study will be over the next two days as we divide it up into palatable pieces.

As we continue, today we pondered over Jesus Reminder and Revelation, and now we will muse over the Rebukes and the Requirements.

We start by seeing Peter’s rebuke of Jesus in verse 22. Peter is upset that Jesus is speaking about His sufferings and death. He doesn’t want to hear about it, he doesn’t want Jesus to talk about it. Jesus then rebukes Satan (vs.23). Jesus’ rebuke against Satan is for influencing Peter to speak as he has.

So, we will close today with the REQUIREMENTS for discipleship (vs. 24-26).

Jesus lists the true conditions of discipleship -counting the cost of being a disciple of His. Too often today we minimize what it means to be a true follower of Christ. Just say a prayer and you’re in. But Jesus makes it clear, if we truly want to be a follower of His, there are three things we must do.

First, Jesus says that we must Deny ourselves. The verb used by Matthew here is the same word Matthew used to describe Peter denying Christ three times. To deny yourself means to refuse to recognize or to acknowledge yourself. Say no to yourself. Saying no to yourself is hard, isn’t it? It means saying no to yourself to follow Jesus.

Second, Jesus says we are to Take up our cross. For Jesus to say this to His disciples was dramatic and even unthinkable. The cross represented the most painful death. When He gives us as His followers this command, He gave the ultimate challenge to give up everything to follow Him. No reserves, no retreats, and no regrets. For Jesus to place this in the middle of this context He places it in the middle of our everyday life. It must be our daily priority, our schedules, our focus, our devotion. Following Jesus without any reservations.

That brings us to Follow Him. The verb here is in the present tense. It means a daily following. A lifestyle. A way of life. Not saying no to just one or two things – a lifestyle of saying no to ourselves. Taking up the cross daily. A daily decision to devote ourselves to Christ.

How do we measure up to the requirements of a true disciple? Do we daily:

Deny ourselves?
Take up our cross?
Follow Him?

The Gospel and The Kingdom - Matthew - The Reminder and the Revelation

2021-02-24T05:00:00.000-05:00

TEXT: Matthew 16:5-21 – ⁵Now when His disciples had come to the other side, they had forgotten to take bread. ⁶Then Jesus said to them, “Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees.” ⁷And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “It is because we have taken no bread.” ⁸But Jesus, being aware of it, said to them, “O you of little faith, why do you reason among yourselves because you have brought no bread? ⁹Do you not yet understand, or remember the five loaves of the five thousand and how many baskets you took up? ¹⁰Nor the seven loaves of the four thousand and how many large baskets you took up? ¹¹How is it you do not understand that I did not speak to you concerning bread?—but to beware of theleaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” ¹²Then they understood that He did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees. ¹³When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?” ¹⁴So they said, “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” ¹⁵He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” ¹⁶Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” ¹⁷Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. ¹⁸And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. ¹⁹And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” ²⁰Then He commanded His disciples that they should tell no one that He was Jesus the Christ. ²¹From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.”

As we continue, today we will ponder over Jesus Reminder and Revelation.

Begin with Jesus’ REMINDER in verses 5-12. Jesus tells them to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees. The disciples first did not understand, they thought He was speaking about the fact they forgot to bring bread. But Jesus went on to instruct them by reminding them of the two mass feedings. He was speaking of the false teaching of the Pharisees. Their false teaching permeates the full measure. What starts out as a minor shift from God’s Word will end up in large measure.

So that brings us to see the REVELATION in verses 13-21. We can divide this into three sections – the PROBING of Jesus in verses 13-17, the PROMISE of Jesus in verses 28-20, and the PASSION of Jesus in verse 21.

The PROBING of Jesus.

Notice first, His REQUEST (vs. 13), He asks the disciples what people were saying about Him. There were many RUMORS about who He was (vs.14).

John the Baptist
Elijah
Jeremiah
One of the Prophets come back

He then asks them what do they think? He is seeking to have them RECOGNITION. Peter acknowledges the Deity of Jesus. (vs. 15-16). In verse 17, Jesus tells Peter that it is because God had revealed it to him.

Then comes the PROMISE by Jesus. He starts with the Announcement (vs.18). He will soon build His Church. He then speaks to the Authority (vs. 19) He will entrust to them. They will have the keys to the Kingdom.

In both the Old and New Testaments, keys symbolize power and authority. The nature of that power and authority varies depending on the context. Through Peter’s faithful proclamation of the gospel, Peter will open the door of the kingdom to those who respond in faith, while at the same time keeping it shut from those who do not. Because the gospel determines what is bound and what is loosed, Peter’s actions of binding and loosing here on earth express heaven’s verdict itself.

While the focus in this passage is Peter, this same authority is extended to the entire church in Matthew 18:18. Thus, when it comes to the authority and power of the keys of the kingdom, it is not something that rests in Peter as an individual or even in the church as an institution. That is because the final authority rests in the gospel itself. So, the keys of the kingdom are God’s gift to his people to state heaven’s verdict on who will and will not enter the kingdom based on their response to the gospel. As such, all who faithfully preach and teach the gospel are able to exercise them under the authority of Jesus Christ himself.

Jesus then gives them a PROHIBITION (vs. 20). They are not to tell anyone that He is the Messiah. They will be commissioned after the Resurrection with the task of proclaiming the good news, but now they were to wait.

We end this revelation with the PASSION of Christ (vs.21) Jesus predicts His future sufferings, death, and resurrection.

Tomorrow, we will continue this lesson with the REBUKES and the REQUIREMENTS that Jesus shares.

The Gospel of the Kingdom - Matthew - The Pharisees Challenge Again

2021-02-23T05:00:00.001-05:00

TEXT: Matthew 16:1-4 – “¹Then the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and testing Him asked that He would show them a sign from heaven. ²He answered and said to them, “When it is evening you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red’; ³and in the morning, ‘It will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ Hypocrites! You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times. ⁴A wicked and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign shall be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.” And He left them and departed."

We are entering Chapter 16 today. In this chapter, we will see that Jesus again refuses to give the Pharisees a sign to prove His divine identity. Also, we will see Him warn His disciples to beware of the Pharisees's false teachings. And end our study with Peter correctly identifying who Jesus is. This study will be over the next four days as we divide it up into palatable pieces.

Let’s get into this study now, as we first look at Jesus and His foes – the Pharisees again.

First, we find their demand in verse 1. As they always do, they seek to throw down a gauntlet to push Jesus into a corner. They seek to discredit Him in front of His followers. They will not accept Him, and in turn, they do not want others to do the same. In our world today there are people, groups, and organizations that seek to discredit the Bible and God. They refuse to accept Him and don’t want anyone else to either. So, this time as a challenge they insist that He prove Himself through some great sign from Heaven. They may have coached this is the form of if you do we will believe, however, Jesus knew they wouldn’t.

So, look at His denial in verses 2-4.

He starts by saying what they would not do (vs. 2,3). He answers their challenge with a summary of the past events – “How many previous signs had He already performed?” and He reminded them that they always refused to accept them. He strongly condemned them when He said – “Hypocrites! You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times.”

So, He goes on, in turn, telling them this is what He will not do (vs.4). They may ask, but He will not give them any more signs. He would not perform a miracle for them. He knew if He did one, they would seek to discredit it, and keep asking for more. He told them that the only sign they would see would be the sign of the Prophet Jonah. He is giving them foreknowledge and referring to His death, burial, and Resurrection! And we know that even then, they did not believe.

Are you seeking miracles from Jesus? Is it for a dire need, or are you also a seeker of wonders? Do you want to be entertained? Do you want to just keep seeing the spectacular? What is your desire for a “sign” from Jesus today?

The Gospel of the Kingdom - Matthew - A Hungry Crowd

2021-02-22T05:00:00.000-05:00

TEXT: Matthew 15:21-28 – “²⁹Jesus departed from there, skirted the Sea of Galilee, and went up on the mountain and sat down there. ³⁰Then great multitudes came to Him, having with them the lame, blind, mute, maimed, and many others; and they laid them down at Jesus’ feet, and He healed them. ³¹So the multitude marveled when they saw the mute speaking, the maimed made whole, the lame walking, and the blind seeing; and they glorified the God of Israel. ³²Now Jesus called His disciples to Himself and said, “I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now continued with Me three days and have nothing to eat. And I do not want to send them away hungry, lest they faint on the way.” ³³Then His disciples said to Him, “Where could we get enough bread in the wilderness to fill such a great multitude?” ³⁴Jesus said to them, “How many loaves do you have?” And they said, “Seven, and a few little fish.” ³⁵So He commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground. ³⁶And He took the seven loaves and the fish and gave thanks, broke them and gave them to His disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitude. ³⁷So they all ate and were filled, and they took up seven large baskets full of the fragments that were left. ³⁸Now those who ate were four thousand men, besides women and children. ³⁹And He sent away the multitude, got into the boat, and came to the region of Magdala.”

We are finishing our study in Chapter 15 today. In this chapter, we have seen Jesus confront the Pharisees, the crowds, and explains His teachings to Peter and the other disciples. We mused over how Matthew shares with us Jesus’ healing of the Canaanite woman’s daughter. And, today in the conclusion of this chapter, we see Jesus minister to a group of 4,000 men as he did previously with the 5,000 men.

As usual, we see Jesus meeting the physical needs of the lame, blind, crippled, and the mute in verses 29-31. He did this to teach that as He had power over the physical, He had power over the spiritual as well. In our account, we also see Him meeting the need of the hungry (vs.32-39). Matthew again gives the amount of food available (vs. 32-34) – seven loaves and a few small fish. And he emphasizes the abundance of food (vs.35-39) – seven full baskets remain after all have eaten their fill!

So, what is the difference between this and the account of the 5,000? Are they the same or different events? What is different?

Obviously 1000 men.

But seriously –

The feeding of the 4,000 is important because of where it took place. The feeding of the 5,000 took place near Bethsaida, close to the Sea of Galilee. In contrast, the feeding of the 4,000 took place in the region of the Gerasenes, in the region around the Decapolis.

Okay, so the two miracles took place in different regions, so what? It’s important because the first region was Jewish (5,000) and the second region was Gentile (4,000). There are some numerical clues in the text which also point to this distinction (numbers in the Bible are rarely accidental)…

In the feeding of the 5,000, Jesus takes five loves and feeds five thousand, which is reminiscent of the five books of the Jewish Law (Genesis, Exodus, …). Not only that, but when everyone had finished eating, twelve baskets of left-overs were collected, which was probably alluding to the twelve tribes of Israel.

In the feeding of the 4,000, seven loaves are used and seven baskets are collected. The number seven is symbolic of completeness (i.e. not just Jews but Gentiles too) and the number seven recalls the seven days of creation when God created all humanity.

So, what is the significance of two feedings of the multitudes?

Both miracles show the provision of the Lord, His love for all His people, both Jew and Gentile. In these miracles, He feeds them with miraculous bread, in preparation for the day when they would be provided for by His shed blood and broken body on the Cross. His death was sufficient for all - it is efficient for those who will accept Him.

So, how do we apply this account to ourselves today?

God’s love is for ALL people – Jew and Gentile alike. It is available to any and all who will receive it. As His people today, we are responsible for sharing “the bread of life” with all who are in need. We have been called and commissioned to deliver the life-sustaining words of Jesus to all – Rich, poor, same as we are, different from us.

First, faith is the basis of all we receive from the hand of Jesus. And since God’s Love is for all people –we should also love all that He places in our lives. No matter who they are.

The Gospel of the KIngdom - Matthew - A Pagan's Faith

2021-02-21T05:00:00.001-05:00

TEXT: Matthew 15:21-28 – “²¹Then Jesus went out from there and departed to the region of Tyre and Sidon. ²²And behold, a woman of Canaan came from that region and cried out to Him, saying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed.” ²³But He answered her not a word. And His disciples came and urged Him, saying, “Send her away, for she cries out after us.” ²⁴But He answered and said, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” ²⁵Then she came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, help me!” ²⁶But He answered and said, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.” ²⁷And she said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.” ²⁸Then Jesus answered and said to her, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed from that very hour.

We are continuing in Chapter 15. In this chapter, we have seen Jesus confront the Pharisees, the crowds, and explains His teachings to Peter and the other disciples. We are going to consider two more miracles that He performs. Today muse over how Matthew shares with us Jesus’ healing of the Canaanite woman’s daughter. Let’s get into this study now.

We must consider a brokenhearted mother in this account. There is probably (outside of God’s love) any greater love in the world than a mother’s love for her child. As we see this miracle today, stop and notice the place – Tyre and Sidon (vs.21). They are two Phoenician cities located north of Palestine on the east coast of the Mediterranean Sea. Tyre and Sidon were Gentile regions, so Jesus and the disciples moved into areas that most Jews would have considered unclean. The region in which these cities were located had a long history of paganism and opposition to the Jews.

Which brings us to the plea (vs.22-23). We witness a broken-hearted mother pleads with Jesus to heal her demon-possessed daughter. She cried out very loudly. She pleads for mercy – yet, Jesus seems to ignore her cries. The disciples beg Him to send her away – she was making a spectacle of herself.

But we will see the kind-hearted Messiah. He begins by reminding her that His ministry was to the Jews – not the Gentiles (vs. 24). He refers to them as dogs (vs. 26). Notice, He says why take from the children and give to the dogs. In the Jewish mind of that day, anyone who was not of the Jewish race was considered a dog – a pagan. Dogs were not the domesticated animals that we keep and love – they were feral and vicious.

Why would He do this? Did He believe this?

Jesus knew that what He came to provide was for all mankind. He knew that the salvation of God was not for the nation of Israel alone. He also knew what He was about to do. So, again, why would He do this?

Keep reading. Notice how she responds in verse 27. She speaks with reason – she agrees with Him but asks for just a crumb from His provision. Even the dogs in a house eat up the crumbs from under the table. Jesus then gives her the reward she was seeking (vs 28). He immediately granted her request. She displayed great faith.

This faith is in contrast to the lack of faith in the Pharisees previously. Jesus grants us what we need in response to our faith. We receive grace by faith – not in ourselves, our method of asking, or our own abilities – our faith must be in Jesus and who He is. This “pagan” had faith that Jesus could and would respond to her.

Ponder today, where is your faith placed. Are you holding on to faith in faith – or in the One who is worthy of our faith? Place your faith in Jesus and Him alone.

The Gospel of the Kingdom - Matthew - The Third of Three Meetings.

2021-02-20T05:00:00.001-05:00

TEXT: Matthew 15:12-20 – “¹²Then His disciples came and said to Him, “Do You know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?” ¹³But He answered and said, “Every plant which My heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted. ¹⁴Let them alone. They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch.” ¹⁵Then Peter answered and said to Him, “Explain this parable to us.” ¹⁶So Jesus said, “Are you also still without understanding? ¹⁷Do you not yet understand that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and is eliminated? ¹⁸But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a 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 unwashed hands does not defile a man.”

We are continuing to study Chapter 15 today. In our study today, we are finishing our study about three meetings that Jesus has. We saw Him meeting with the Pharisees, we considered His meeting with the People, and today we will be musing on His meeting with Peter.

The disciples thought it strange that their Master should say that which he knew would give so much offense. They think, if he had considered how provoking it would be, he would not have said it.

However, Jesus knew exactly what he said, and to whom he said it, and what would be the effect of saying it. He would seek to teach us, that though in indifferent things we must be tender of giving offense, we must not, for fear of that, evade any truth or duty. Tact can be vital, but the truth must always be told.

He then calls the Pharisees blind guides. They were blind in two ways:

First, they were blind from the heart (VSS 15-18). Our words tell what’s in our hearts. Our hearts defile us, and outward washing rituals and kosher dietary regulations cannot make us clean inside. The heart is the corrupt source of this defilement. Sinful words come from there, and polluting others only serve to defile others as well.

Second, they were blind out of the heart (VSS 19-20). All these evil actions begin within our thoughts. He states the list from the Ten Commandments, but instead of ending with covetousness, He ends with blasphemies or slander, the Greek word used here can mean either.

Jesus said that breaking the Ten Commandments is done first and foremost in the heart, not just in the flesh.

So, how do we apply this account to ourselves today?

We can see that blind leaders place human traditions ahead of matters of the heart. Blind leaders will find excuses to sidestep the instructions of God. Blind leaders will preach “inclusion,” meaning accommodation to the sins of the world, so that they can keep the money coming in. Blind leaders will preach “unconditional love,” often preached as “come as you are,” meaning no need to change, when real love is preaching repentance, and rescuing sinners from hell.

We must never allow rituals and traditions, no matter how good they are, to replace the spirit of God’s Law. And in turn, we must be most concerned with our inward attitudes more than our outward actions.

The Gospel of the Kingdom - Matthew - The Second of Three Meetings.

2021-02-19T05:00:00.001-05:00

TEXT: Matthew 15:10-11 – “¹⁰When He had called the multitude to Himself, He said to them, “Hear and understand: ¹¹Not what goes into the mouth defiles a man; but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man.”

We are continuing to study Chapter 15 today. In our study today, we are pondering about three meetings that Jesus has. We saw Him meeting with the Pharisees, today we will consider His meeting with the People, and the last lesson will be on His meeting with Peter. We will then consider the two miracles.

After dealing with the accusation from the Pharisees, Jesus then speaks to the crowd around Him. He calls them around Him. A rabbi would often do this when a very solemn pronouncement is about to be given.

The Pharisees carried the ceremonial pollutions much further than the law intended and burdened it with additions of their own, which our Savior witnessed against. We must be careful not to add our own personal preferences to what God has established.

Jesus tells His followers (and us today), that we are polluted (sinful), not by the meat we eat with unwashed hands, but by the words we speak from an unsanctified heart; thus it is that the mouth causes the flesh to sin. Ecclesiastes 5:6 states – “Do not let your mouth cause your flesh to sin, nor say before the messenger of God that it was an error. Why should God be angry at your excuse and destroy the work of your hands?” Christ, in a former discourse, had laid a great stress upon our words (Matthew 12:36, 37).

His point? It is not the disciples that defile themselves with what they eat, but the Pharisees that defile themselves with what they speak spitefully and censoriously of them.

Both meetings so far are stressing the truth that He taught in Matthew 7:1-5 – ““Judgenot, that you be not judged. ²For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. ³And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? ⁴Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? ⁵Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”

Today, ponder, do I judge people without getting my own house in order? Do I censor others without seeking to clean up my own life?

The Gospel of the Kingdom - Matthew - The First of Three Meetings.

2021-02-18T05:00:00.001-05:00

TEXT: Matthew 15:1-9 – “¹Then the scribes and Pharisees who were from Jerusalem came to Jesus, saying, ²“Why do Your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread.” ³He answered and said to them, “Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition? ⁴For God commanded, saying, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.’ ⁵But you say, ‘Whoever says to his father or mother, “Whatever profit you might have received from me is a gift to God”— ⁶then he need not honor his father or mother.’ Thus you have made the commandment of God of no effect by your tradition. ⁷Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying: ⁸‘These people draw near to Me with their mouth, And honor Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me. ⁹And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ ”

We are going to start studying Chapter 15 today. In this chapter, we will see Jesus confront the Pharisees, the crowds, and explains His teachings to Peter and the other disciples. We will also see two more miracles.

In our study today, we start to see three meetings that Jesus has. Today we see Him meeting with the Pharisees, tomorrow we will consider His meeting with the People, and the last lesson will be on His meeting with Peter. We will then consider the two miracles.

First, we must consider the accusations of the Pharisees in verses 1-2. Being confronted by the Pharisees has been a continual and almost expected thing. They accuse Jesus of breaking the Mosaic Law by allowing His disciples to ignore the ceremonial handwashing ritual before eating. In the Jewish legal system of that day, that was a very high misdemeanor! It also shows this was a sign that Christ's disciples conducted themselves inoffensively when this was the worst thing they could charge them with.

The word translated ritual is the Greek word paradosis and it means the body of precepts, esp. rituals, which in the opinion of the later Jews were orally delivered by Moses and orally transmitted in unbroken succession to subsequent generations, which precepts, both illustrating and expanding the written law, as they did were to be obeyed with equal reverence

What was the transgression of this tradition or injunction by the disciples; it seems, they did not wash their hands when they ate bread, which was the more offensive to the Pharisees, because they were men who in other things were strict and conscientious. The custom was innocent enough and had a decency in its civil use. But when it came to be practiced and imposed as a religious rite and ceremony, and such a stress laid upon it, the disciples, though weak in knowledge, yet were so well taught as to comply with it, or observe it; especially when the scribes and Pharisees had their eye upon them. They were claiming that Jesus must have taught this – and thus was a Law-breaker.

We must listen in to Jesus’ condemnation in response (VSS. 3-9). He begins by speaking to their own corruption (VSS. 3-6). The Pharisees had twisted God’s Law in such a way that it allows them to ignore their responsibilities to their parents. The proof of this charge is in the particular instance, that of their transgressing the fifth commandment.

Let us see what the command of God is, what the precept, and what the sanction of the law is.
The precept is, Honor thy father and thy mother; this is enjoined by the common Father of mankind, and by paying respect to them whom Providence has made the instruments of our being, we give honor to him who is the Author of it, who has thereby, as to us, put some of his image upon them. In Exodus 21:17 we read that the sin of cursing parents is here opposed to the duty of honoring them. Those who speak ill of their parents, or wish ill to them, who mock at them, or give them taunting and opprobrious language, break this law. By our Savior’s application of this law, it appears, that denying service or relief to parents is included in cursing them.

He then speaks to their character in verses 7-9. He says that they are hypocrites. They are play-actors wearing a mask of righteousness while in reality being something else. He then stated that they fulfilled Isaiah’s prophecy concerning them – Isaiah 29:13:

“Therefore the Lord said: ‘Inasmuch as these people draw near with their mouths And honor Me with their lips, But have removed their hearts far from Me, And their fear toward Me is taught by the commandment of men….’”

Are we guilty of condemning others of their sin, while harboring our own sins? Are we pharisaical in our application of the Bible? Demanding others to be perfect, while we ourselves are full of sin and error?

Today, take a quiet time to sit before the true Judge and let Him reveal the areas in our lives that we need to get right.

The Gospel and the Kingdom - Matthew - Walking on Water

2021-02-17T05:00:00.001-05:00

TEXT: Matthew 14:22-36 – “²²Immediately Jesus ^[a]made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He sent the multitudes away. ²³And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there. ²⁴But the boat was now in the middle of the sea, tossed by the waves, for the wind was contrary. ²⁵Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea. ²⁶And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out for fear. ²⁷But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, ^[c]“Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.” ²⁸And Peter answered Him and said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” ²⁹So He said, “Come.” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. ³⁰But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!” ³¹And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” ³²And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. ³³Then those who were in the boat came and worshiped Him, saying, “Truly You are the Son of God.” ³⁴When they had crossed over, they came to the land of Gennesaret. ³⁵And when the men of that place recognized Him, they sent out into all that surrounding region, brought to Him all who were sick, ³⁶and begged Him that they might only touch the hem of His garment. And as many as touched it were made perfectly well.”

Today we come to another of my favorite accounts in the miracles of Jesus. We will ponder the account of Jesus Walking on the Water.

We can see this portrayed for us in three sections –

The events PRECEDING His Walk
The events DURING His walk, and
The events FOLLOWING His walk.

First, let us muse over the events PRECEDING His Walk

In verse 22 notice His COMMAND to the disciples, they were to cross to the other side. Knowing they were going to face this storm, He sent them out into it. Sometimes Thus in verse 23 we see His COMMUNION. He sought time alone with the Father. We often need to do the same – we need to live by His example. And then in verse 24 – we are shown the CRISIS – the violent storm seeking to destroy the disciple’s boat. Didn’t Jesus know this was going to happen? Of course, He did, and yet He sent them into it. God will sometimes send us into the storm to achieve His purpose.

So we ponder now the events DURING His walk Read about His APPROACH in verse 25. He comes walking on top of the angry waves. So, it is only natural to see the disciple’s ALARM in verse 26, this group of Disciples thought they were being visited by a ghost (possibly a demonic spirit). Jesus doesn’t leave them that way, He provides the ASSURANCE verse 27.

Now, I love this part – the ATTEMPT of Peter in verses 28-31. Peter first calls out to Jesus. Then when instructed he steps out of the boat, and what no one could have expected, he starts walking on the water toward Jesus.

But at this point, it takes a nasty turn -

He takes His eyes off Jesus.
He looks at the circumstances surrounding him.
He begins to fear (look at verse 27b).
He then starts to sink.
He sends out a “flare prayer” – “Lord, save me.”
Notice the continued focus on “He.”

Jesus then reaches out and lifts Peter up. What can we learn? Understand that Peter walked in faith and sank in doubt. Do we often do this? Step out in faith only to focus on the problems and not the Lord?

We finish this account with the AWE of the disciples in verses 32-33. They see wind cease immediately. They in turn worship Jesus as the Son of God.

Finally, the chapter ends with the events FOLLOWING His walk in verses 34-36. As soon as they land, many come to Him for healing, and so His compassion goes out to them and heals them.

So, how do we apply this account to ourselves today? Jesus has great compassion for those who are hurting, and seeks to provide for them. And in turn, we must remember that:

To step out in faith often means we must step out of the boat and into the storm.
We also often walk by faith, and stumble in doubt. With our eyes on Him we are safe, but when we look at the circumstances we struggle with our faith.`

The Gospel and the Kingdom - Matthew - Little is Much

2021-02-16T05:00:00.001-05:00

TEXT: Matthew 14:13-21 – “¹³When Jesus heard it, He departed from there by boat to a deserted place by Himself. But when the multitudes heard it, they followed Him on foot from the cities. ¹⁴And when Jesus went out He saw a great multitude; and He was moved with compassion for them, and healed their sick. ¹⁵When it was evening, His disciples came to Him, saying, “This is a deserted place, and the hour is already late. Send the multitudes away, that they may go into the villages and buy themselves food.” ¹⁶But Jesus said to them, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.” ¹⁷And they said to Him, “We have here only five loaves and two fish.” ¹⁸He said, “Bring them here to Me.” ¹⁹Then He commanded the multitudes to sit down on the grass. And He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke and gave the loaves to the disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitudes. ²⁰So they all ate and were filled, and they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments that remained. ²¹Now those who had eaten were about five thousand men, besides women and children.”

Today we come to one of my favorite accounts in the miracles of Jesus. We will see the feeding of the 5,000 men. Matthew is showing that Jesus is the Messiah. He is the King of the Kingdom.

He has the power to provide for us. Let’s get into this study now, as we look at His feeding of these 5,000 men (plus women and children).

In this account, which is also found in Mark 6; Luke 9; and John 6, Jesus meets a two-fold need.

First, He heals the HURTING as we read in verses 13-14. We once again see the compassion of Jesus in this event. He had withdrawn because of the death of John – yet He focusses on those who are in need. We need to be compassionate to those around us – are we so “me” centered that we fail to see the needs of others around us?

In the process, we find Him feeding the HUNGRY in verses 15-21. His ministry goes late into the day. They are located in a deserted place with nothing available for such a large crowd to eat. So, the Disciples seek to send them away. However, Jesus uses this to test His Disciples (see this in John 6:5-7) The Disciple Andrew has canvassed the crowd and only finds a boy with a small lunch. Jesus then instructs them on what to do in verses 18-19. After all have eaten, the Disciples collect 12 baskets of leftovers.

When we read this, it mentions that there were 5,000 men – not including the women and children – possibly as many as 20,000 people ate this meal. This was no small feat.

This account is included by Matthew to show how much God wants to provide for us. We must remember that God in His infiniteness, is totally capable and willing to provide for our needs (not always our wants). He has the power and provision to put into action what we need in His plan and purpose.

I remember the old song from the Gaither band, the chorus goes – “Little is much when God is in it! Labor not for wealth or fame. There's a crown, and you can win it, If you go in Jesus' name.”

Are you willing to give what little you have to allow Him to produce an abundance crop for your benefit?

The Gospel and the Kingdom - Matthew - John the Baptist Murdered By Herod Antipas

2021-02-15T05:00:00.001-05:00

TEXT: Matthew 14:9-14 – ⁹And the king was sorry; nevertheless, because of the oaths and because of those who sat with him, he commanded it to be given to her. ¹⁰So he sent and had John beheaded in prison. ¹¹And his head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, and she brought it to her mother. ¹²Then his disciples came and took away the body and buried it, and went and told Jesus. ¹³When Jesus heard it, He departed from there by boat to a deserted place by Himself. But when the multitudes heard it, they followed Him on foot from the cities. ¹⁴And when Jesus went out He saw a great multitude; and He was moved with compassion for them, and healed their sick.

Even when Jesus was here on the Earth, people misunderstood who He was. They attributed Him to be many different things – a great Teacher, a Prophet, some thought Him crazy, others thought He was a charlatan trying to deceive the people. Those same thoughts and accusations remain until today.

We have considered how Herod misunderstood who Jesus really was. We went on to see the mistreatment of John the Baptist. Today, we finish the account of the Martyrdom of John the Baptist.

When we left off yesterday, we saw that Herod is now between a rock and a hard place. He feared John as a Holy Man, and had been protecting him. But, in a highly aroused state before his cronies, he had promised this young girl – Salome – anything she would ask for.

I am sure he had no thought that she would ask for such a deed. He was probably shocked beyond measure.

Verse 10 says, “So he sent and had John beheaded in prison.” Concise. Almost devoid of any feeling. Herod had been trapped by his own words. We also need to be careful of reckless oaths we might make! The promises we make – even lightly or without any real thought can come back to haunt us, to taunt us, trap us.

The head of Joh was brought to Salome as she asked, who then took it to Herodias.

John’s Disciples came and took his body and buried it. They didn’t want to leave it for any further misuse or abuse.

These disciples then sought out Jesus. We can only speculate on their reasons and feelings.

Grief-stricken
Seeking comfort
Possibly to warn Him to “tone it down” in case the same should happen to Him.

So, how do we apply this account to ourselves today?

We need to beware of decisions that we make – in haste and irrationally. What was Herod thinking? Giving a young girl half of his kingdom? Sounded good when he said it – impressed his cronies – but would come back to destroy him.
We need to stand strong for the truth – no matter the cost.
We must saturate our minds with the Word so that we will not be quick to make rash, foolish decisions. They always turn on us.

Valentine's Day - Love the Unlovely

2021-02-14T05:00:00.002-05:00

Valentine’s Day. A day of Love. We find it easy to share, to write love poems or songs, to give cards to those we love. However, since this is a somewhat universal celebration each year, maybe we should broaden our understanding of the meaning of love – as God would have us.

I read about a couple who shared a very special kiss. The story, in Brennan Manning’s book, Ragamuffin Gospel, describes a rather solemn scene between a surgeon and a young couple. A young woman is lying in the recovery room after a procedure to remove a tumor from her cheek. Unfortunately, the surgery severed a facial nerve and her lips are permanently skewed as a result. In a tender moment of acceptance, her husband bends down and repositions his lips to meet hers with precision. The physician witnesses their exchange and recognizes it as a God moment.

The image of the young husband contorting his mouth and twisting his lips for an intimate kiss with his palsied wife should grip our hearts. Consider how God symbolically did the very same thing for us when He fashioned Himself in the form of flesh and became “man” through the image of His Son, Jesus Christ. What a love story. The God of the universe bent down from Heaven, leaned toward mankind, and expressed His love to a very disfigured people. He contorted Himself (so to speak) in order to manifest His vast love to a fallen generation. How do we respond to such a beautiful expression of genuine love to handicapped humanity? We respond by recognizing we were created from the clay of the earth, by the hand of the Great Potter Himself.

Jesus condensed the Ten Commandments into two:

"... love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength." Mark 12:30 (NLT) [Jesus said,] "I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other." John 13:34 (NLT) He said the love we have for one another will prove to the world that we are his followers (John 13:35).

Once we experience God's lavish, unconditional love, the only reasonable response is to share that love with others.

Jesus also gave a command that appears illogical and impossible: "But to you who are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies! Do good to those who hate you.” Luke 6:27 (NLT)

Our natural tendency is to love only those who love us, which Jesus said is no credit to us. The selfless love He described can be expressed only with supernatural help from God's Spirit, but it offers the world an undeniable witness of God's transforming love and power.

If you have never known the unconditional love of this King, He wants you to know that His desire has always been toward you and that even now, He longs for your response. Most importantly, He wants you to know that His kiss still works.

Maybe we should use February 14 to reach out to those who don't come to mind when we think of Valentine's Day.

The Gospel and the Kingdom - Matthew - John the Baptist Mistreated By Herod Antipas

2021-02-13T05:00:00.001-05:00

TEXT: Matthew 14:3-8 – ³For Herod had laid hold of John and bound him, and put him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife. ⁴Because John had said to him, “It is not lawful for you to have her.” ⁵And although he wanted to put him to death, he feared the multitude, because they counted him as a prophet. ⁶But when Herod’s birthday was celebrated, the daughter of Herodias danced before them and pleased Herod. ⁷Therefore he promised with an oath to give her whatever she might ask.

⁸So she, having been prompted by her mother, said, “Give me John the Baptist’s head here on a platter.”

We looked at verses 1 &2 yesterday and considered how Herod misunderstood who Jesus really was. Today, in this passage, we see the context of what is taking place. This is the account of the Martyrdom of John the Baptist.

In verses 3-5 we are instructed about the persecution of John. John is imprisoned for fearlessly condemning Herod’s unlawful marriage to Herodias – his ex-sister-in-law.

Two of Herod’s sons were Herod Philip and Herod Antipas. Herod Philip married his half-niece Herodias. When Herod Antipas visited his brother, he desired Herodias for a wife for himself. So Herod Antipas divorced his own wife and married Herodias. She, of course, had to divorce Herod Philip first. The Jewish law does not permit such behavior (Leviticus 18:16 and 20:21).

Thus, John the Baptist had said this was wrong. Going against the King (especially one of the Herods) was a certain design for persecution or worse. However, in this case, Herod greatly feared the crowds, and possibly John himself – and thus he did not have him executed – only tortured. (Mark 6:20 tells us – “… for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just and holy man, and he protected him….”)

In verse 6 of this chapter in Matthew, we see the performance. The daughter of Herodias performs a birthday dance for Herod. Her name is Salome according to outside sources. Many believe that this was a very seductive and lewd dance to entertain Herod and his cohorts.

So, in verse 7 we see the promise of Herod. He with a great oath promised Salome that he would give her whatever she wanted. (Mark 6:23 adds – “He also swore to her, ‘Whatever you ask me, I will give you, up to half my kingdom.’”)

And in verse 8 the plot is revealed – at Herodias’ urging, Salome demands the head of John the Baptist.

Herod is now between a rock and a hard place. He feared John. He protected John. But, in front of his cronies, he had made an oath. What should he do? What will he do? Tomorrow, we will continue to unravel this account of John’s martyrdom.

Ponder today this thought, We must saturate our minds with the Word so that we will not be quick to make rash, foolish decisions. They always turn on us. How can this apply to me today?

The Gospel and the Kingdom - Matthew - Misunderstanding Who Jesus Is

2021-02-12T05:00:00.001-05:00

TEXT: Matthew 14:1-2 – “¹At that time Herod the tetrarch heard the report about Jesus ²and said to his servants, “This is John the Baptist; he is risen from the dead, and therefore these powers are at work in him.”

Those same thoughts and accusations remain until today. I like how C. S. Lewis has boiled it down to only three ways we can see Jesus – He is one of these three – a Liar, a Lunatic, or Lord. We cannot accept Him in any other way.

Liar – He was one who knew He was just a man and yet continued to proclaim Himself as the Messiah.
Lunatic – He thought that He was the Messiah, but was in the same category as one who thinks they are Napoleon today.
Lord – He knew who He was, and He was not deluded – He is Lord of Lords and King of Kings.

In our passage today we see that when Herod first hears about Jesus and the miracles and His ministry it stirs up his deepest fears. Possibly Herod had been tormented since the casual oath he had made. Possibly he had been living in the terrors of guilt and fear from this deed.

Whatever it was, when the news about Jesus came – he immediately fears that John the Baptist had returned from the dead. If this Jesus could heal, could raise the dead, could store sight, hearing, and movement – if John had caused him fear before – this becomes a haunting continual nightmare. This could be why he so desperately wanted to see Jesus when Pilate offers.

In our next two lessons, we will ponder what Matthew tells us about

John being mistreated by Herod Antipas, and
John the Baptist is murdered by Herod Antipas.

I want to end today by challenging you to search your heart and mind – which of the three “L’s” mentioned above are you.

The Gospel of the Kingdom - Matthew - The Reactions to the Parables

2021-02-11T05:00:00.001-05:00

TEXT: Matthew 13:9-17; 34-35; 51-58 – “⁹He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” ¹⁰And the disciples came and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?” ¹¹He answered and said to them, “Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. ¹²For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. ¹³Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. ¹⁴And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says: ‘Hearing you will hear and shall not understand, And seeing you will see and not perceive;¹⁵For the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, And their eyes they have closed, Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, So that I should heal them.’ ¹⁶But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear; ¹⁷for assuredly, I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it”

³⁴All these things Jesus spoke to the multitude in parables; and without a parable He did not speak to them, ³⁵that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying: “I will open My mouth in parables; I will utter things kept secret from the foundation of the world.”

⁵¹Jesus said to them, “Have you understood all these things?” They said to Him, “Yes, Lord.” ⁵²Then He said to them, “Therefore every scribe instructed concerning the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure things new and old.” ⁵³Now it came to pass, when Jesus had finished these parables, that He departed from there. ⁵⁴When He had come to His own country, He taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished and said, “Where did this Man get this wisdom and these mighty works? ⁵⁵Is this not the carpenter’s son? Is not His mother called Mary? And His brothers James, Joses, Simon, and Judas? ⁵⁶And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this Man get all these things?” ⁵⁷So they were offended at Him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and in his own house.” ⁵⁸Now He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief.”

As we close our study of Matthew 13, we need to consider the Purpose of these parables. Jesus uses His parables to accomplish a two-fold goal

· To reveal God’s truth to the righteous (verses 9-12, 34-35, 51)
· To conceal God’s truth from the unrighteous (verse 12-13)

This was prophesied by the prophet Isaiah in chapter 6:9-10 that Israel would not be able to understand or accept the truths in Christ’s parables – quoted in verses 14-17 above.

And Matthew closes this section with the Reaction to His parables – the people in Jesus’ hometown of Nazareth react to His parables in a two-fold way

· First, they were amazed (verses 53-56)
· Then they were angered – (verse 57-58)

But because of this, Jesus does only a few miracles there because of their unbelief.

So, that leads us to the very important question – "how do you react to the teachings of Christ?

We can be either amazed or angry at the truths we find in His Word. The choice is ours.

The Gospel of the Kingdom - Matthew - The Last Two Parables

2021-02-10T05:00:00.001-05:00

TEXT: Matthew 13:47-52 – ⁴⁷“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was cast into the sea and gathered some of every kind, ⁴⁸which, when it was full, they drew to shore; and they sat down and gathered the good into vessels, but threw the bad away. ⁴⁹So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just, ⁵⁰and cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.” ⁵¹Jesus said to them, “Have you understood all these things?” They said to Him, “Yes, Lord.” ⁵²Then He said to them, “Therefore every scribe instructed concerning the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure things new and old.”

There are 8 total parables in this chapter. We will consider the last two today. The parable about the Sorting of the Fish and the Homeowner and His Treasure.

Starting with the sorting of the Fish, or as some call this the Dragnet ponder over

The information in the parable given in verses 47-48 – upon catching a net filled with fish, the fishermen sort out the good from the bad.
The interpretation of this parable in verses 49-50 – At the end of the world, the angels will separate the righteous from the wicked.

And in the last parable in Chapter 13, we read about the Homeowner and his Treasure (verse 52). Jesus says that a wise teacher of God’s Word can display both the old and new precious truths (Old and New Testament) like a homeowner can show off both old and new treasures. We are reminded to study and know (apply also) both the Old and New Testaments if we wish to draw close to God and acquire the Kingdom of Heaven.

We will conclude our study of this chapter tomorrow as we are reminded the reason for the use of parables, and Jesus’ disciples' reaction to them.

The Gospel of the Kingdom - Matthew - More Parables Today

2021-02-09T05:00:00.001-05:00

TEXT: Matthew 13:31-33; 44-46 – ³¹Another parable He put forth to them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field, ³²which indeed is the least of all the seeds; but when it is grown it is greater than the herbs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches.” ³³Another parable He spoke to them: “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till it was all leavened.”

⁴⁴“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. ⁴⁵“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, ⁴⁶who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.

We considered the Parable of the Sower and the Seed and the Wheat and the Tares. There are 8 total parables in this chapter. We will consider four more today. The parable about the Mustard Seed, The Yeast, The Treasure in the Field, and The Merchant and the Pearl.

The first parable to consider today is the Mustard Seed verses 31-32.

· It goes into the ground as the smallest of seeds (verses 31-32a)
· It grows out of the ground the largest of plants (verse 32b)

The next parable is about Yeast in verse 33.

· It is placed in the flour – only a small amount is needed.
· It permeates every part of the dough

These two parables are teaching that the Kingdom of God is already at work. It may appear small in the world, but it is moving and permeating throughout. Often, the Church of Christ has had to work “underground” but it is then that it springs forth in a mighty way.

The last two parables we will consider today is The Treasure in the Field and the Merchant and the Pearl. Starting with the Treasure in the Field (verse 44), we are told about:

· The discovery – the man finds a precious treasure
· The delight – He is overjoyed at what he finds
· The decision – He sells all that he has to buy the field.

And in the Merchant and the Pearl (verses 45-46), the information given by Jesus is:

· He seeks out the pearl
· He buys the pearl

Both of these parables are very similar. Jesus is comparing Heaven to be like a great treasure and a beautiful Pearl. Both are worth giving up all we hold dear to make sure we have.

Heaven is very costly and very precious. Are we willing to give up all we have to be a part of the Kingdom and to receive Heaven?

The Gospel and the Kingdom - Matthew - The Parable of the Wheat and Tares

2021-02-08T05:00:00.001-05:00

TEXT: Matthew 13:24-30; 36-43– Another parable He put forth to them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who 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 grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared. ²⁷So the servants of the owner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?’ ²⁸He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The servants said to him, ‘Do you want us then to go and gather them up?’ ²⁹But he said, ‘No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them. ³⁰Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.” ’ ”

³⁶Then Jesus sent the multitude away and went into the house. And His disciples came to Him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field.” ³⁷He answered and said to them: “He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. ³⁸The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the wicked one. ³⁹The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels. ⁴⁰Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age. ⁴¹The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, ⁴²and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. ⁴³Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”

We considered the Parable of the Sower and the Seed yesterday, today we will consider a similar Parable – The Parable of the Wheat and the Tares. We will use the same format as we did yesterday, so -

Let us start by considering the information in this parable.

· The diligence of a sower – (verse 24) – the farmer sows good seed throughout the field.
· The discovery by the sower – (verses 25-28) – he learns his enemy later secretly visited the field and sowed tares (a kind of darnel, resembling wheat except the grains are black) among his wheat.
· The dilemma of the sower – (verse 29) – He knows that if he attempts to pull out the tares, he will also harm the wheat.
· The decision of the sower – (verse 30) – he will wait until harvest time, when he will sort out the tares from the wheat and burn them.

And we conclude this study by considering the interpretation of this parable.

· The sower is Christ (verses 36-37).
· The enemy is the Devil (verse 39a)
· The field is the world (verse 38a)
· The good seed is the believers (verse 38b)
· The tares are unbelievers (verse 38c)
· The harvest is the end of the age (verse 39b)
· The reapers are the angels (verses 39c-41)
· The granary is heaven (verse 43)
· The furnace is hell (verse 42).

Our study yesterday and today leads to two important questions –

What kind of soil are you?
Also, are you a wheat or a tare?

From these two lessons, I hope that we have learned that we are commissioned to sow the seed – freely and everywhere. However, we sow the seed, but we have no control over the soils that it lands on. We do the sharing – He does the saving.

The Gospel and the Kingdom - Matthew - The Parable of the Sower

2021-02-07T05:00:00.001-05:00

TEXT: Matthew 13:1-8, 18-23– On the same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the sea. ²And great multitudes were gathered together to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore.³Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying: “Behold, a sower went out to sow. ⁴And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them. ⁵Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth. ⁶But 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 sprang up and choked them. ⁸But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. ⁹He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”

¹⁸“Therefore hear the parable of the sower: ¹⁹When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside. ²⁰But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; ²¹yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles. ²²Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful. ²³But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.”

We are going to begin to study Chapter 13 today. This chapter contains 8 parables that Jesus uses to teach us about Heaven. So, “What is a parable?”

It has been called an earthly story with a heavenly meaning. The definition of a parable is a simple story with a moral or a story told to teach a lesson. An example of a parable is the story about the boy who cried wolf, which is used to teach kids not to lie.

Jesus taught in Parables because of the Jewish mind – it thinks in pictures. When asked by the disciples why he used parables, Jesus said that he would fulfill the words of the prophet and reveal the mysteries from the foundation of the world.

Today, we will consider His well-known parable about the Sower and the Seed and the Wheat and the Tares.

Consider the information in this parable A farmer sows some grain, which then falls upon four different kinds of soil – each producing a different result.

· Roadside soil – (verses 1-4) – This seed is soon devoured by the birds.
· Shallow, rocky soil – (verses 5-6) – This seed springs up quickly but soon withers, being scorched by the sun.
· Thorn-infested soil – (verse 7) – This seed is quickly chocked by the thorns.
· Fertile soil – (verse 8) – This seed produces a 30, 60, and even a 100-fold crop!

That brings us to the interpretation of the parable. Jesus explains this parable in verses 18-23.

· The seed – (verses 18-19a) – the seed represents the Good News about the Kingdom – the Gospel.
· The roadside soil (verse 19b) – This hard soil represents those who hear the message but do not understand it, thus allowing Satan to steal it from the,.
· The rocky soil (verses 20-21) – the shallow, rocky soil represents those who have no depth and thus drop out upon encountering any trouble or persecution.
· The thorn-infested soil – (verse 22) – the thorny ground represents those who allow the lure of wealth to snuff out the Good News.
· Finally, the fertile soil – (verse 23) – the good soil represents those who truly accept God’s message, producing an abundant harvest!

As you ponder and consider this parable today – ask yourself – which type of soil are you?