relationships (Matthew 15:1-14) Healthy Perspectives

(Matthew 15:1-14)

Then some Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said, 2 “Why do Your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread.” 3 And He answered and said to them, “Why do you yourselves also break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? 4 For God said, ‘Honor your father and mother,’ and, ‘The one who speaks evil of father or mother is to be put to death.’ 5 But you say, ‘Whoever says to his father or mother, “Whatever I have that would help you has been given to God,” 6 he is not to honor his father or mother.’ And by this you have invalidated the word of God for the sake of your tradition. 7 You hypocrites, rightly did Isaiah prophesy about you, by saying:

8   ‘This people honors Me with their lips,
     But their heart is far away from Me.
9   And in vain do they worship Me,
     Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’”

10 After Jesus called the crowd to Him, He said to them, “Hear and understand! 11 It is not what enters the mouth that defiles the person, but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles the person.”

12 Then the disciples came and said to Him, “Do You know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this statement?” 13 But He answered and said, “Every plant which My heavenly Father did not plant will be uprooted. 14 Leave them alone; they are blind guides of blind people. And if a person who is blind guides another who is blind, both will fall into a pit.”

TODAY'S TAKEAWAY:

Striving to be clean and pure is healthy, helpful and good, but it is only in Jesus' forgiveness and salvation that we can be seen by God as holy, pure and righteous!  Being obedient is good, helpful and important, but only when we have entered into a personal relationship with the Lord God, and we are then being obedient because of God's love for us and our love for Him!  Respecting manmade traditions is okay, as long as they do not conflict or supersede God's commandments and guidance.  And maintaining healthy relationships and love for others is important, but no one should ever be considered more important than our relationship with the Lord God!

It is very helpful to keep in mind that the closer we grow to the Lord, and the more we strive to live in His will, the better our relationships will be with others... unless, of course, someone hates us because we are living for the Lord!  In those cases, what should we be doing?  From other verses in the Bible, we know that we are to love and pray for them.  And IF any opportunities present themselves, we can (in God's love and guidance), speak God's truth, of His love, mercy and grace.  But IF we find that they are only wanting to "discuss" in order to argue and change US... Jesus clearly tells His disciples (and us) exactly what to do!

We can see in verse 12 how the disciples were concerned by the fact that the pharisees had been offended by what Jesus said.  OF COURSE Jesus knew that the pharisees felt offended;  but His advice is simple... "Leave them alone!"  

We should not be surprised or disturbed by this or think we have to fix things.  "Leave them alone!" :

- don't try to stop them, and if they are your spiritual leaders, then it is time to find another church that is doctrinally sound 

- don't argue with people like this (because it will accomplish nothing)

- don't try to change or convict them (because only God's Holy Spirit can do this)

- don't try to appease them in any way (because this will only lead us into compromising God's truth)

- do continue to love and pray for them!!!

- and in all things, put our relationship with the Lord God first in our lives!!!

relationships (Matthew 14:34-36) Don't Take For Granted

(Matthew 14:34-36)

34 When they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret. 35 And when the men of that place recognized Him, they sent word into all that surrounding region and brought to Him all who were sick; 36 and they pleaded with Him that they might just touch the border of His cloak; and all who touched it were cured.

TODAY'S TAKEAWAY

There are different viewpoints about how we approach the Lord.  Many people don't even regard God as a Being with a personality and feelings and desires, and only see Him as some vending machine in the sky, like... "oh, I need something, maybe if I 'put a coin in' and/or do something nice, and/or make some sort of motion, then make three wishes, all of my dreams will come true."  And as things don't happen, they grandly state that, "They tried it, but Christianity doesn't work!"  

Many people will look at Christianity as a religion to take seriously, and they will even serve God earnestly, but with the idea that they have to somehow earn their salvation, and/or God's favor.  But because we are born with a sinful nature, earning our way to heaven or earning God's favor is impossible.  And because it is all about having a personal relationship with the Lord, and the Lord desires that all come to know Him, He came to earth in flesh to pay the price.  He provided the way - the only way - to be saved (which is to be spiritually healed).  

This is the most important healing that anyone could ever have!  Another way to view this, is that salvation in Jesus is a reconciliation.  We humbly go to Him and repent, and He forgives us, for all eternity, so that as children of God, we can never be separated from Him!  While the Lord God has great compassion for all His children (all believers), when we get to heaven, we will be given glorified bodies, never to be sick or hurt again, and never to struggle with any type of sin ever again!

Meanwhile, here on earth, we will struggle, and because the Lord cares, and desires that we grow closer to Him in our personal relationship, He will help us.  Can the Lord God heal us physically?  Yes!  Can and will He still heal us physical?  Yes, but the question really should be - is it His will to do so?  Does it matter if we are struggling with our obedience?  Well, we know that God will allow different consequences into our lives, in order to draw us back to Him.  When we confess and choose to continue on in obedience, it is not a guarantee that God will remove these issues, but He will most certainly bless us with His joy, peace, strength, etc.  

God will allow various struggles into our lives, in order to draw us even closer to Him, as well as use these to help draw others to His kingdom!  Let's look at the apostle Paul as a good example, who definitely strived to live an obedient life... 

(2 Corinthians 12:7-9)  7 Because of the extraordinary greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me—to keep me from exalting myself! 8 Concerning this I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might leave me. 9 And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.

relationships (Matthew 14:24-32) Trustworthy Confidence and Encouragement

(Matthew 14:22-32)

22 Immediately afterward He compelled the disciples to get into the boat and to go ahead of Him to the other side, while He sent the crowds away. 23 After He had sent the crowds away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray; and when it was evening, He was there alone. 24 But the boat was already a long distance from the land, battered by the waves; for the wind was contrary. 25 And in the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea. 26 When the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out in fear. 27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.”

28 Peter responded and said to Him, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” 29 And He said, “Come!” And Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water, and came toward Jesus. 30 But seeing the wind, he became frightened, and when he began to sink, he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!” 31 Immediately Jesus reached out with His hand and took hold of him, and said to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” 32 When they got into the boat, the wind stopped. 33 And those who were in the boat worshiped Him, saying, “You are truly God’s Son!”

TODAY'S TAKEAWAY

Where do I start?!  I guess, it makes sense to start with mankind's shortcomings.  And where do I start with THAT?!  We have so many.  Even after months and months of walking alongside Jesus, and hearing Him speak truth and irrefutable words of wisdom, and seeing Him deliver endless amounts of miracles, the disciples did not recognize Jesus when He approached them.  They never imagined that the God of the impossible could - what? - do the impossible - like walking on top of water!  And their first and only reaction was to be afraid, totally forgetting that anyone can call on the Lord God at any time to be saved!  Even as believers, who are saved, it is so easy to forget that God is sovereign, and that we are to call on Him all of the time, and trust in Him in everything!

Now let's consider just how loving and amazing our Lord God is!!!  And - wow - where do I start with THAT!!!  The words "immediately" and "when" stand out.  This actually demonstrates to us that the Lord God loves us, and is always present!  

Because God is love, He desires that we all come to know Him personally in a close relationship.  As well, He also desires that we trust Him so much that we obey everything that He says (because He has a much better way).  But because He is love, He will never force anyone to love Him back, and even when we choose to love Him, He will never force anyone to obey.  Because Christianity is all about having a relationship with the Lord, it is always our choice in how we respond.

As for the Lord always being present, the verses above demonstrate just that!  Jesus sent them out on the boat always knowing that they would face a storm.  They could have called out to Him right away, but they didn't.  Jesus gave them a span of time in order to give them full opportunity to call upon Him, but they didn't.  So, at the right time, He showed Himself to them in a miraculous way... you know, because He cares!  

Once the men realized who He was (after He had to tell them), Peter wanted to join Jesus out on the water.  Jesus invited Peter to join Him in doing something so cool, always knowing that Peter would falter.  Peter started out strong - only because - Peter began that experience by looking to Jesus.  But when Peter looked at the problems around him, he began to sink.  AT LEAST in that moment, Peter thought to cry out to Jesus!!!

We also see that the men in the boat did not try to prevent Jesus from coming onto the boat with them.  Instead, as soon as Jesus was with them, and the storm stopped, they worshipped Him, because they recognized and acknowledged who Jesus was (and is)... God's Son!  Part of the Trinity!  God, Himself!  The Lord who they knew from the Old Testament scriptures, aka: THE Angel of the Lord, who was and is Jesus-preincarnate, aka: "I AM". 

In verse 27, Jesus announced Himself as "It is I" which from the original Hebrew can easily translate to "I am".  Pretty much every Israelite would have known that Jesus was then saying, "I am the Lord God"!  Knowing, understanding and acknowledging this should bring us immense confidence and encouragement, and should most certainly build up our faith and trust in the Lord!...

(Exodus 3:14)  And God said to Moses, 

“I AM WHO I AM”; and He said, “This is what you shall say to the sons of Israel: 

‘I AM has sent me to you.’”

(John 8:58) Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly I say to you, before Abraham was born, 

I am.”

(John 6:35)  Jesus said to them, 

“I am the bread of life; the one who comes to Me will not be hungry, and the one who believes in Me will never be thirsty.

(John 8:12)   Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, 

“I am the Light of the world; the one who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.”

(John 10:7)  So Jesus said to them again, “Truly, truly I say to you, 

I am the door of the sheep.

(John 10:11) 

 “I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.

(John 11:25) Jesus said to her, 

“I am the resurrection and the life; the one who believes in Me will live, even if he dies,

(John 14:6) Jesus said to him, 

“I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Me.

(John 15:1) 

 “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser.

(Isaiah 43:10-13)
10 “You are My witnesses,” declares the Lord,
     “And My servant whom I have chosen,
     So that you may know and believe Me
     And understand that I am He.
     Before Me there was no God formed,
     And there will be none after Me.
11 I, only I, am the Lord,
     And there is no savior besides Me.
12 It is I who have declared and saved and proclaimed,
     And there was no strange god among you;
     So you are My witnesses,” declares the Lord,
     “And I am God.
13 Even from eternity I am He,
     And there is no one who can rescue from My hand;
     I act, and who can reverse it?”

relationships (Matthew 14:22-24) Taking Time to Fellowship and Rest

(Matthew 14:22-24)

22 Immediately afterward He compelled the disciples to get into the boat and to go ahead of Him to the other side, while He sent the crowds away. 23 After He had sent the crowds away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray; and when it was evening, He was there alone. 

TODAY'S TAKEAWAY

Jesus knew that it was time for both the disciples and the people to return home (probably for many reasons), some of which would have included:  to take care of the things at home for which they were responsible, but also to contemplate and mull over everything they had just witnessed and heard.  A good teacher would know not to overwhelm their students with too much information.  There's definitely a tipping point at which - if we try to take in too much - we'll struggle to retain even just the main points of all the valuable lessons and takeaways.

Now, remember that John the Baptist had just been executed, and Jesus' quiet time was interrupted with a multitude, which He just healed, nurtured and fed.  So now, Jesus made sure He got in this quiet time, not to mourn or fritter away, but to pray!  As an example for us to follow, Jesus began each day with prayer.  Just as He had rested on the seventh day, after creating everything!  And "resting" means taking time off from work-work, and using the time to worship and fellowship with God, as well as with other believers.  Right after creation, the Lord's fellowship would have included Adam and Eve.  

Even the world's psychologists have proven that it is unhealthy to isolate ourselves, and healthy to have some form of faith.  Well, here's the Lord God, who is sovereign (everywhere present, all-powerful, and all-knowing) who desires that we rest one day a week, as well as fellowship with other believers at least once a week, and fellowship with Him everyday!  Since the Lord created us, He knows us better than we know ourselves.  He knows what we need, and what we don't need.  

There are times when we need to be with other believers, and there are times we need to be alone with the Lord God!  And while we have that day of rest-rest, on all the other days, as we are work-working, and dealing with all other responsibilities, we are to rest in Him... which simply means to trust and rely on Him, giving Him all of our issues, time, energy and resources, and asking and allowing Him to do things FOR us, in us and through us!  I know, I say this a lot, but it's because I really do need this constant reminder!!!

relationships (Matthew 14:14-21) Table of Fellowship

(Matthew 14:14-21)

14 When He came ashore, He saw a large crowd, and felt compassion for them and healed their sick.

15 Now when it was evening, the disciples came to Him and said, “This place is secluded and the hour is already past to eat; send the crowds away, so that they may go into the villages and buy food for themselves.” 16 But Jesus said to them, “They do not need to go; you give them something to eat!” 17 They said to Him, “We have nothing here except five loaves and two fish.” 18 And He said, “Bring them here to Me.” 19 And ordering the crowds to sit down on the grass, He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looked up toward heaven. He blessed the food and breaking the loaves, He gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. 20 And they all ate and were satisfied, and they picked up what was left over of the broken pieces: twelve full baskets. 21 There were about five thousand men who ate, besides women and children.

TODAY'S TAKEAWAY

Having a topic-quest makes me stay hyper-focused with a kind of Q&A direction (NOT to find and see what I want to see - but what God wants me to find, see and understand).  But what is also helpful is the exercise of highlighting words which helps me to see more things than if I simply read the verses.  And what stood out to me here was a very clear-cut example of how the Lord is all about our relationship with Him, as well as with others.

First of all, the Lord Jesus had selfless and sacrificial compassion on the people who came to Him for healing.  And when it got late, He didn't chase them away, even though He would have been tired, and He still hadn't had a chance to get in that quiet moment after John's execution.  Instead, Jesus invites them to "His table", just as He invites every single person to come to His table to be nourished and fulfilled... which is accept His forgiveness, mercy, grace, salvation, satisfaction, fulfillment, purpose, blessings, eternal life and true and close fellowship with Him.  

In becoming a child of the Lord God, while we should cherish our one-on-one time with Him in our daily devotions and prayers, He also wants us to fellowship with our brothers and sisters in Christ, as well as to serve one another.  But here is how the Lord wants it to work!  Notice the sequence above!  

- the disciples want the people to leave...

- Jesus asks that the people stay and eat

- Jesus asks His disciples to feed them

- the disciples look at their physical limitations and problems...

- Jesus asks the disciples to bring Him what they do have

- Jesus blesses and multiplies what the disciples give Him

- Jesus asks the disciples to serve the people

- the people are satisfied

- the disciples and the people witness a miracle, and there are leftovers

Jesus asks us to His table, and He wants us to invite others to join us at His table.  When Jesus asks us to "feed" them (to share His gospel message), Jesus wants us to bring Him our problems, struggles and issues, and give Him all of our time, energy and resources!  THEN, Jesus does it FOR us, because He desires that we ask and allow Him to work FOR us, in us, and through us!  He then takes what we give Him, and blesses and multiplies it, in order to serve Him and others!  And in our serving Him, others will become children of God... a major blessing and multiplication of children in God's kingdom!!! 

There will always be satisfaction, and there will always be enough!  This is not a name-it-and-claim-it kind of thing.  The Lord will see to it that we have what we need, and sometimes what we want.  And the Lord will definitely reward our deeds that are done with pure motives, which is to do everything in His love, strength and righteousness, all to His glory!  But the biggest blessing is being in a relationship with God, to sit at His table, to fellowship, and be nourished, fulfilled and satisfied!!!

relationships (Matthew 14:1-14) Knowing the One Who Helps

(Matthew 14:1-14)

1 At that time Herod the tetrarch heard the news about Jesus, 2 and said to his servants, “This is John the Baptist; he himself has been raised from the dead, and that is why miraculous powers are at work in him.”

3 For when Herod had John arrested, he bound him and put him in prison because of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip. 4 For John had been saying to him, “It is not lawful for you to have her.” 5 Although Herod wanted to put him to death, he feared the crowd, because they regarded John as a prophet.

6 But when Herod’s birthday came, the daughter of Herodias danced before them and pleased Herod, 7 so much that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she asked. 8 And after being prompted by her mother, she said, “Give me the head of John the Baptist here on a platter.” 9 And although he was grieved, the king commanded it to be given because of his oaths and his dinner guests. 10 He sent word and had John beheaded in the prison. 11 And his head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, and she brought it to her mother. 12 John’s disciples came and took away the body and buried it; and they went and reported to Jesus.

13 Now when Jesus heard about John, He withdrew from there in a boat to a secluded place by Himself; and when the people heard about this, they followed Him on foot from the cities. 14 When He came ashore, He saw a large crowd, and felt compassion for them and healed their sick.

TODAY'S TAKEAWAY

Where there is sin, there is pride, hatred, fear and more sin!  For example, instead of repenting and doing the right thing, Herod and Herodias wanted John the Baptist in prison, and to be killed, in attempts to cover up the sin of being together.  But, seriously, how does that solve anything?  Yet, we do see this happening!  This is how our sinful nature thinks.

On a big scale, we see this in communist and authoritarian countries, and terrorist regimes and organizations.  Over the years, we hear about all the Christians who are tortured and killed or stuck in prisons.  Why? Just because they hate Christians, and they want their voices and beliefs to be silenced, and to put fear into everyone else so that they will also hate and avoid Christianity.  

On a "small" scale, we see this even in ourselves.  In a recent sermon, our pastor suggested that we consider everything in our lives with this thought:  in everything we say, do, see and hear - is it luring me away from the Lord, or is it bringing me closer to the Lord?  Are these things causing me to lust, hate or fear, or are they helping me to be content, to love, and to find God's peace, joy and certain hope?

As believers, the more we know about God, and the better we know Him, we will have greater trust, courage and confidence in Him!  And, even though things here on earth can be very dangerous, difficult and unfair, we can be encouraged in just knowing that the Lord cares and is with us as our strength and help!  And we should then see things very differently, in understanding that life here on earth is just a very tiny, temporary part of it all, because life is eternal, and we know where we are going after we pass away.   

We can look to John the Baptist and his disciples as examples to follow.  John spread God's word, even though it meant his imprisonment and untimely death.  And his disciples still came to claim John's body, even though Herod would have resented them for doing so.  It was also Jewish law that forbade public mourning for those who were executed (justly or not).

Now we see Jesus' perfect example.  Although He would never have made a spectacle of Himself by mourning and wailing in the streets, He still quietly slipped away to be alone.  And even though He always knew what would happen to John, we can see that the Lord cares deeply for His children, as well as for unbelievers and the state of the world!  

Because the Lord God is sovereign, He sees everything - all of the sin and all of the hurting!  And He desires that all come to know Him personally, to find spiritual healing, peace and joy, and eternal life... with Him in heaven, where there will be no more pain or suffering!  This is exactly why the Lord Jesus came in flesh - to suffer and die for all sins - so that we don't have to!  He conquered sin and has victory over death, so that we can have victory and everlasting life in Him!

relationships (Matthew 13:53-58) The Things We Should Remember

(Matthew 13:53-58)

53 When Jesus had finished these parables, He departed from there. 54 And He came to His hometown and began teaching them in their synagogue, with the result that they were astonished, and said, “Where did this man acquire this wisdom and these miraculous powers? 55 Is this not the carpenter’s son? Is His mother not called Mary, and His brothers, James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas? 56 And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this Man acquire all these things?” 57 And they took offense at Him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not dishonored except in his hometown and in his own household.” 58 And He did not do many miracles there because of their unbelief.

TODAY'S TAKEAWAY

Jesus' hometown, Nazareth, was not that big, having somewhere between 500 and 2,000 people, and most of them would have been Jewish.  Growing up in a "pioneer settlement" town that size, everybody seemed to know me.  Now, this isn't necessarily a bad thing, as long as there is a culture of respect and sound morality.

There will be some legitimate reasons to move away from various dangerous areas and situations, but let me just say to anyone who currently lives in a small town and thinks that the answer to a happier life is to move to a city, it is most likely not.  If someone cannot manage the relationships around them, and then move somewhere else to escape an awkward or frustrating scenario, that person will most likely only "find" and/or create a similar situation, because wherever you are - there you are - you and all your awkward "quirks" and issues!!!  Without working on yourself (with God's help), all one has done is changed the location.

After high school, I actually lived in two very different cities, with completely different cultures,  both around 2 million people.  And I have to say, I was just as lonely as I was in my hometown, even after finding a few friends.  Since then, as I have now lived in many other types of towns and cities, I have realized my patterns, as well as some issues I personally needed to work on.  

Here are some of the things I have learned over the years.  The most important thing in my life is my relationship with the Lord!  And with that comes the importance to quickly find a church with sound doctrines, and get involved.  Simply attending church is not enough.  God created us to serve and asks that we use our gifts to serve Him and others.  As well, He as asks us that we do not neglect the meeting of the saints.  And knowing how people work, God knows that people are "shy", and put up walls, and all that nonsense, but when we worship, eat and work together, this is what will help break down walls!!!  In this we will find instant community with others who have everything in common.

Now to the issue of Jesus not being accepted and honored in His hometown...  People do struggle with a few other things, like gossiping and slandering, and believing in the gossip and the slander.  Now, if they actually witness our imperfections and we don't try to reconcile these things, people tend to also struggle with grace and forgiveness.  Even if one moves away from an area, and comes back 50 years later, they will remember how you WERE, and not necessary see or think how you might be now.  Right?  When we think back to childhood and that neighborhood bully, we typically imagine that the person they grew up to be is still a bully.  I mean, they might be, but they might have actually changed.  We don't know!

So, here's something important that believers need to work on!  When someone with an infamous past becomes a Christian, we should not look at them and think, or say, "Huh, well, we'll just see how long this lasts!"  With God's love, grace and patience, we should be praying for others, mentoring them, and encouraging them...  God is changing all of us from the inside out, and as we allow, He continues to work for us, in us and through us!  God is able to mature Christians with horrible pasts to become amazing testimonies - like, um, this one guy named Saul, who was in charge of persecuting and killing Christians, who upon "meeting Jesus" was renamed Paul, and wrote most of the New Testament.  And we see in scripture how many believers struggled to trust him at first.

Of course, Jesus didn't have past indiscretions or any sins at all.  He was and is holy and perfect!  Jesus is God!  Jesus is the way, the truth and the life.  And no one can become a believer unless and until they open their spiritual ears and eyes to see, recognize, understand and believe in this... to believe IN Him.  And I still find it shockingly amazing how quickly we can see and/or experience a miracle, but then so quickly forget about it, or explain it away.  So then when we are faced with something, our bad memories will result in less faith, and therefore, we "limit" what God is able to do in our lives.  This is just one reason why we should be praying and in God's word everyday, and going to church, and getting involved!  We absolutely need constant reminders that the Lord God is sovereign...

(Mark 9:23) ...Jesus said to him, “‘If You can?’ All things are possible for the one who believes.”

(Genesis 18:14a)   Is anything too difficult for the Lord?...

(Mark 19:26)  ...Jesus said to them, “With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

(Jeremiah 32:17) ‘Oh, Lord God! Behold, You Yourself have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and by Your outstretched arm!  Nothing is too difficult for You'