So he left them and went away once more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing.

Matthew 26

So he left them and went away once more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing. v44

I've been asking God to help me with my prayer life, and found it interesting that Jesus prays three separate times in the Garden of Gethsemane.  John Piper writes about Jesus' prayers that evening.  According to Piper, God both heard Jesus' prayers AND answered them.  Jesus first sought to avoid "drinking from the cup" but then prayed for God's "will to be done".  We must be prepared for God's response to prayer, as it may not be what we seek, but we can take comfort in knowing that God never does nothing.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an incredible God who loves me, knowing everything about me, yet still knowing everything about me died on the cross for me.  Unbelievable - thank You Jesus!  I am not worth such love.  I worry, etc. among my many sins.  Please forgive me and help me overcome and turn from my sins towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo. Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Then Judas, the one who would betray him, said, “Surely you don’t mean me, Rabbi?”

Matthew 26

Then Judas, the one who would betray him, said, “Surely you don’t mean me, Rabbi?” v25

All of us at one point or another in our lives, choose this world over Jesus then we often turn around and deny it...just like Judas does here, like Peter will further on in this chapter, etc.  Whatever pushes us to choose Jesus over this world, whether it be greed, fear, etc. we MUST all acknowledge our sin, ask for Jesus to come into our lives, submit to Him, surrender our live over to Him, and devote our lives as a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1) to glorify Him for that is why we exist.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an amazing God as You willingly laid down Your life for me so that I could have freedom from the sting of sin and death...You never leave or forsake me - thank You Jesus!  I am not worth such love.  I am selfish...among my many sins.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.

Matthew 25

Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me. v40

There are many in this world who are suffering and have little to nothing or who need the daily assistance of others just to get by.  We don't have to go very far to experience "the least of these".  I think of Dustin, but there are others for sure.  We are called to focus on these people.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an amazing God who loves me and who cares for me - I know You will always be with me - thank You Jesus!  I am not worth such love.  I am selfish and often uncaring.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.

Matthew 24

Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him. v42-44

As a follow up to yesterday's post about Jesus' warnings about the end times, Jesus continues to warn us by telling us that we "do not know on what day [He will return]".  Since we don't know when Jesus will return and we have been entrusted with time, treasure and talents, and some of us with the spiritual leadership of our households, we must be ready to demonstrate that we've been living by faith and been good stewards with what Jesus has entrusted us. 

We MUST live with the end in mind.  Watch this great video and read Malachi 3, with a specific focus on v16-18.

My Prayer: Heavenly Father - You are a good, good Father - and the One True God who created the heavens and universe, and died for me.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not worth such love.  I worry.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me. Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo. Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

Matthew 24

Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. v35

As part of a broader warning about the end of times and false prophets, Jesus warns us of the temporal nature of the things of this world.  Jesus even warns us that some of us will "turn away from the faith and hate [other believers]" (v10).   He also encourages us that if we "stand firm to the end" we will be saved (v13).  

In a world that swirls with chaos, suffering, sin, etc., we must trust and have faith in a God that never changes as He is our rock and firm foundation.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an amazing God who loves me and love NEVER changes - I can trust in You as my rock and firm foundation.  I love You.  Yet I am undeserving of Your love.  I worry.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

The greatest among you will be your servant. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.

Matthew 23

The greatest among you will be your servant. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted. v11-12

In Matthew 23, Jesus continues to warn His followers to avoid the hypocrisy of the Pharisees and teachers of the law.  Jesus did not come to be served but to serve (Mark 10:45).  We are called to deny ourselves, be more like Jesus and draw others to Him by allowing the others to see not us but the light of Jesus in us.

Be a light.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an amazing God who as King did not come to be served but to serve - thank You Jesus for dying on the cross for me and for paying the price not just for my sin but for all of humanity!  Thank You - the greatest gift of all time.  I am not worth such love.  I am selfish and weak and lazy.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

No one could say a word in reply, and from that day on no one dared to ask him any more questions.

Matthew 22

No one could say a word in reply, and from that day on no one dared to ask him any more questions. v46

Jesus encourages us to have a dialog with Him...to learn from Him, and to question Him based on doubts we have - having confidence that God can resolve all our doubts and give us faith, because we know Jesus is the source of our faith (see Ephesians 2:8-9).

However, here in Matthew 22 - the Sadducees and Pharisees sought to trap Jesus. We as believers often feel tempted to "test" Jesus - albeit perhaps in not the same way as the Sadducees and Pharisees.  We feel tempted to ignore God's words and test the boundaries of His grace by willfully sinning - feeling as if "no one" is watching.

Willful sin is dangerous.

We are not to put the Lord our God to the test.

Nothing is hidden from God.

We are all held accountable for our lives. 

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, what an amazing God You are that You give me faith, and You are SO full of grace for me - thank You Jesus!  I am not worth such a God.  I daily miss the mark.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

He asked, ‘How did you get in here without wedding clothes, friend?’ The man was speechless.

Matthew 22

 He asked, ‘How did you get in here without wedding clothes, friend?’ The man was speechless. v12

I did not fully understand the parable told here (The Parable of the Wedding Banquet) in v1-14.  I understand how many people spurn the gospel message yet the MacArthur commentary helps by pointing out how although the man without the wedding clothes accepted the invitation to the banquet he did not fully submit to the king's wishes by accepting a free offer to adorn wedding clothes - an indictment according to MacArthur on how many people externally behave as a follower of Jesus might but internally lack the heart condition and commitment to truly follow Jesus.  This is similar to recent posts on hypocrisy.

Jesus wants 100% of our life - not part of our lives and not part of the time (i.e. Sunday).  We must acknowledge our need for a savior and Jesus is that Savior and we are to love Him and others, and in the process deny our selves and live for Him.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an amazing God who loves me and who died for me - thank You Jesus!  I am not worth such love as I daily miss the mark.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit. Anyone who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; anyone on whom it falls will be crushed.

Matthew 21

Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit. Anyone who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; anyone on whom it falls will be crushed. v43-44

Much like my post yesterday, in v33-45 Jesus is warning us of inaction and hypocrisy.  He tells the
chief priests and the Pharisees of another parable that paints a portrait of them as entrusted with the many blessings as God's chosen people and told to be holy, set apart, and to care for others, among the many things God asks of us.  Yet time and time again the Jewish nation rejects God and His messengers....with Jesus this is no different.  

God gives us time, treasure, and talent - and we are not to waste it.  We must use it.  

We must also be in action and not be hypocrites - reading the Word but not "doing the Word".l

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an incredible God who as blessed me in many, many ways - too many ways for my words to describe.  You came for me and died on the cross for me so that I could have life.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not worth such love.  I am weak and miss the mark daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo. Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him."

Matthew 21

Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him." v31-32

We are told to be do-ers of the Word - see James 1:22.  The Pharisees and Sadducees were exposed as hypocrites and Jesus warns us to avoid the "yeast" of such hypocrites and to avoid becoming modern-day Pharisees. 


Be in action.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are ALWAYS at work and ALWAYS at work for me...You died for me and continue to be with me...always.  Thank You Jesus - I am not worth such love and sacrifice.  I often fail to be in action...failing to "do" the Word.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.

Matthew 21

Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer. v21-22

From the very beginning we are told by God to be fruitful.

God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Genesis 1:28

God has given each of us a unique design and called us to use our spiritual gifts.

See this commentary for thoughts on how we must be on guard to avoid the hypocrisy of claiming to follow Jesus but bearing no fruit.

Examples of fruit can be seen in Galatians 5:22.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an amazing God who loves me and who has blessed me well beyond what I deserve.  I am often lazy and neglectful of both You and my gifts and calling.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength. Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for today and every day.

Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.

Matthew 20

Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. v26-28

Today's passage reinforces yesterday's post on serving Him and others vs serving our own interests and desires.

James and John with their mother came to Jesus and she sought favor for her two sons - favor above the other disciples.  Regardless of what we may have done or think we may have done - it is not for us to feel deserving of recognition of reward - this is only for God to do.  

We will all be accountable for the lives we lead and judged only by God.  As I posted yesterday, we must be humble - and we must also learn to live with the end in mind.

For us men, we must live as "authentic men".

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who came to serve, including serving me!  I am not worthy of such service and love...I know what You did and do for me (some of this as I can't wrap my head around everything you've done and do).  I am undeserving.  I daily miss the mark.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

So the last will be first, and the first will be last.

Matthew 20

So the last will be first, and the first will be last. v16

We ascribe earthly value to being first - as a winner and as someone deserving of a prize commensurate with the effort - there is also pride and status associated with being first.  At some level, we all want what I describe - and this has always been the case. We are born selfish.  Yet God wants our lives to be about Him and about bringing others to Him.  It's not about us.

We need to deny our selfish desires and think and act according to His desires.

We exist to glorify God.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, what an amazing God You are that You are so full of grace and patience for me - thank You Jesus - I am undeserving!  I often fail to be a do-er of the Word.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.

Matthew 18

Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times. v22

Peter asks Jesus how many times he should forgive someone who sins against him and Jesus' response reinforces that we are to love and forgive others as Jesus loves us.  

Jesus came to rescue us while we were still sinners (Romans 5:8).

We are to love others as Jesus loves us (John 13:34). 

Forgive as Jesus forgave us (Colossians 3:13).

Jesus of course sets a high bar and one that we cannot reach but Jesus will transform our heart and mind as we draw near to him (Romans 12:2).

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, you are an awesome God who loves me, came to rescue and save me - all while I was still a sinner.  You love me just as I am and You continue to do a work in my heart and life - thank You Jesus for the many blessings You pour out.  I am not worth such blessings.  I worry, among my many sins.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day. 

If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire.

Matthew 18

If your hand or  your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. v8

John Piper indicates - and I agree with him - that we should view life as war in terms of the battle for our soul over sin.  From Piper:


"Until you believe that life is war — that the stakes are your soul — you will probably just play at Christianity with no blood-earnestness and no vigilance and no passion and no wartime mindset. If that is where you are this morning, your position is very precarious. The enemy has lulled you into sleep or into a peacetime mentality, as if nothing serious is at stake. And God, in his mercy, has you here this morning, and had this sermon appointed to wake you up, and put you on a wartime footing."

That is why we MUST go to God.  He is the only One to help us defeat the sting of sin and death.

See also Ephesians 6:10-18 and "[p]ut on the full armor of God".

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who has helped me so far immeasurably in the battle for my soul - thank You Jesus!  You have transformed my heart and life.  I am not worthy of such love and blessing.  I worry - I neglect my relationship with You....please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.

Matthew 18

Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.  And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me. v4-5

Jesus wants us to cultivate a relationship with Him such that we are like children: completely dependent on Him for all our needs, curious and passionate about learning about Him, and humble.

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.  Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.  Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Matthew 5:3-6

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an incredible God who loves me, and provides for all of my needs - thank You Jesus!  I am not worth such love and blessings.  I worry, I am quick to anger, I gossip, etc. among my many sin.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me. Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

Matthew 17

He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” v20-21

The disciples, although at least Peter recognized Jesus as Messiah, have not yet grasped the power of Jesus and the Holy Spirit has yet to manifest itself for the disciples.  For all of us believers at this point however, we SHOULD understand that we have the Holy Spirit - and this is the same power that raised Jesus from the grave.

Our faith should rest on the power available to us through Jesus Christ. 

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who has made available to me an awesome power and You are with me always - thank You Jesus!  I am not worth such love and blessings.  I worry, I am quick to anger, I gossip, etc. among my many sin.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me. Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done.

Matthew 16

For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done. v27

Jesus begins to warn His disciples of His impending fate of the cross at the hands of the Jewish elders.  Peter, influenced by evil desires, does not want this to happen and challenges Jesus on this.  Jesus then explains that followers of Jesus must deny themselves and instead serve the desires of Him and glorify Him.  He then tells His disciples that they will be held accountable for their life on earth - in terms of their focus on His desires and their sacrifice to fulfill His desires.

We must focus on the eternal and how what God has given us (resources, time, spiritual gifts) can be used to glorify Him.

Also in this today's reading is a message about how to deal with difficult circumstances - Peter did not want to deal with difficult circumstances.  None of us want bad things to happen but they do - we may not like it but we must not only accept such circumstances but see how God is at work as He always is and for our good and His glory.  We must remember that we don't exist to serve our own pleasure.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who has done EVERYTHING for me so that I could have life to the full - freedom from the sting of sin and death.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not worth such love.  I worry, I am quick to anger, etc. among my many sin.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me. Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven.

Matthew 16

Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. v17

Jesus asks His disciples who He is and Jesus receives several answers, including a response from Peter that He is the Messiah.  Jesus affirms this as the correct response and points out to Peter and the other disciples that such a response was only possible through God who gives us such wisdom. 

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. Ephesians 2:8-9

It's not just faith that is only provided by God - ALL good things are by and through Him.

The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. Colossians 1:15-16 

I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing.” Psalm 16:2

My Prayer:  Lord Jesus, You are an incredible God who provides ALL good things for me and blesses me beyond what I deserve. I worry...and I daily miss the mark.  Please forgive me Jesus for such sins and help me overcome and turn from such sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Please help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day. 

Then they understood that he was not telling them to guard against the yeast used in bread, but against the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

Matthew 16

Then they understood that he was not telling them to guard against the yeast used in bread, but against the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees. v12

The Pharisees and Sadducees ask Jesus for a sign - failing to acknowledge that Jesus is God and once again (see also post here).  They claim to be righteous but of course practice faith through ceremonial law and criticize Jesus and the disciples for their lack of faith.  

Jesus warns us of the influence Pharisees and Sadducees in our lives - just as yeast causes bread to rise - the hypocrisy of the Pharisees and Sadducees can take rise and grow in our lives. 

We must be careful of who we keep company with - the influence of others is powerful.

See also post here.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an incredible God who protects me and provides me with Godly influences of my family and friends - thank You Jesus!  I am undeserving of such love and blessings because I am quick to anger...among my many sins.  Please forgive me Jesus for such sins and help me overcome and turn from such sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Please help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day. 

His disciples answered, “Where could we get enough bread in this remote place to feed such a crowd?”

Matthew 15 

His disciples answered, “Where could we get enough bread in this remote place to feed such a crowd?” v33 

Jesus feeding the five thousand (v29-39) is of course about yet another set of miracles Jesus performs and it’s also about the incredible compassion Jesus has as he heals everyone and never stops loving us – He thinks about US all the time (v32).  Yet it’s easy to overlook what I believe is one of the more important messages we should take away from this story – it’s also about ALL of the excuses we come up to NOT have compassion on others.  I can’t think of ANY excuses Jesus had when asked to serve others.  In fact, His stated purpose during His ministry was to SERVE: 

“Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, to give his life as a ransom for many.” Matthew 20:28 (see also Mark 10:45). 

We are to love others as God love us, so we need to STOP making excuses why we can’t serve others!

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an incredible God who is always thinking about me and You never stop loving me – thank You Jesus.  All the while, I am constantly coming up with excuses about why I can’t serve or love others as You do.  Please forgive me Jesus for such sin and help me overcome and turn from such sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Please help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

“Yes it is, Lord,” she said. “Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.”

Matthew 15

“Yes it is, Lord,” she said. “Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.” v27

A Canaanite woman pleads with Jesus to heal her demon-possessed daughter, yet Jesus ignores her plea initially and the disciples urge Him to move on.  Her pleas continue to the point of getting on her knees and debating with Jesus (see also Matthew Henry Commentary), and He agrees to heal her daughter - seeing the faith she has and the desire she has for Him and His healing powers.

God wants us to be desperate for Him, and for us to have a contrite heart - see also verses here.  We should acknowledge that we all sin and are in need of a Savior. 

David had a contrite heart:

When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy on me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer.  Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord.”
And you forgave the guilt of my sin. Psalm 32:3-5

Bottom line: Jesus wants us exactly where we are - desperate, humble, angry, etc.  We can debate with Him, etc.  We must however acknowledge who God is and remain in reverent fear of Him..

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are Lord of All, King of Kings, and You reign over the heavens and the earth - and You are my God.  You adopted me and died for me.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not worth such a God.  I am selfish, etc.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. These are what defile a person; but eating with unwashed hands does not defile them.

Matthew 15

For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. These are what defile a person; but eating with unwashed hands does not defile them. v19-20

Once again, the Pharisees question Jesus about breaking with Old Testament law regarding washing of hands before eating.  MacArthur indicates that such hand washing was an "extrabiblical law" that only existed in oral form.  Regardless of the extent to which such rituals were part of the law or not, Jesus goes right to the core in His response by challenging the Pharisees and their "external" faith based on deeds and Old Testament ceremonial law.  He focuses on what comes out of our mouth from our heart - as our heart condition is most important.

What can we do to cleanse and guard our heart?

Practical suggestions:
The Battle for Your Mind
Seven Ways to Pray for Your Heart

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, what an amazing God You are that You have transformed my heart and life to be more like You - I know You are still at work in my heart and life but I have experienced miracles in my life already - thank You Jesus!  Yet I am not worth such love and blessing.  I worry.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day. 

And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

Matthew 14

And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.” v32-33

The past several days of my study appear to be drawing a broad theme - that we as believers must have faith and express that faith through prayer and other means.  In this passage in Matthew 14, Jesus walks on water as does Peter, yet Peter's faith weakens as he grows afraid. Jesus does not want us to be afraid (see v27, additional verses here) and He wants us to cast our cares on Him through prayer, etc.  If we have Fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22) we will have peace and not be afraid.

On prayer, Piper writes that "God acts when we pray" and that "God can do more in five seconds than we can do in five years".

My Prayer: Heavenly Father, You are a good, good Father and my God - the One True God who saved me from the sting of sin and death.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not worth such a God.  I do get afraid.  Please forgive me Jesus for such sin and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray.

Matthew 14

After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. v23

Jesus took time to pray - and the Bible urges us to pray.  John Piper notes that the Bible indicates we should be "devoted to prayer".  Piper goes further to say that "[i]f you don't pray, you won't live".

I need to devote more of myself to prayer.

Jesus, please help me be devoted to prayer.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me even though I fall short of Your intention for me often...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome my sin and help me turn towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior. Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  

And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith.

Matthew 13

And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith. v58

Either at the end of their lives or at the End of Times, there will be those who lack faith and will be condemned.  It's hard to fathom this - a loving God who loves all of His children who does not save all of His children.  Yet this is not the case - God wants us to be in a willing relationship with Him where we submit to Him and depend on Him, where we deny ourselves and instead seek His desires above our own. 

God is the One who bring us to faith...or not.  This does not get us off the hook for His command to tell others about Him.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are a great God who loves us and who willingly goes to the cross to save us from the sting of sin and death.  Thank You Jesus - the greatest gift of all time.  I am not worth such a gift.  I daily miss the mark.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.

Matthew 13

The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field.  Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches. v31

In Matthew 17:14-21, Jesus also refers to the mustard seed and having faith, even a little faith, produces significant fruit.  Of course, He wants our faith to grow and mature.  All of us must start somewhere...start with a little faith.

Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you. Matthew 17:2-21

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who has given me faith and grown my faith - - thank You Jesus.  I am not worth such love and blessings as I often miss the mark.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

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

Matthew 13

But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. v23

Jesus wants us to take what He provides to us - His Word, the Holy Spirit, spiritual gifts, etc. and put them to good use for His glory, bringing others to Him.

See also

See also post here.

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do. James 1:22-25

 

My Prayer:  Lord Jesus, You are an amazing God who loves me and who has provided me with so much - Your Son, salvation, the Holy Spirit, Your Word, the church, brothers and sisters in Christ, spiritual gifts, etc. - thank You Jesus for how You have richly blessed me!  I am not worth such love and blessings.  I worry. Please forgive me Jesus and help me turn from such sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me. Help me grow in my faith.  Help me be in action.  Please provide wisdom and strength to Lisa and myself.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”

Matthew 12

For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother. v50

As Jesus finished challenging the Pharisees who asked Him for a sign - testing Him - Jesus is informed that His brothers (as named in Matthew 13:55, Mark 6:3) and mother are outside waiting to speak with Him.  Jesus once again reminds us of how biological ties are not our priority (God is) and that these ties may not always be what is best for us - yes we are to honor our father and mother per the Ten Commandments, but today's verse, as well as Matthew 10:21-22, indicate that our faith in God is most important and that we should be careful how biological ties get in the way or hinder our faith.  

The formation of the early church in Acts (v42-47 in particular) reinforces Jesus statement today.   

All the believers were together and had everything in common. Acts 2:44

Such fellowship, also "unpacked" by John Piper as the kind of fellowship that Jesus believes we should have in support of our faith. 

See additional references or salutations to "brothers and sisters" in Christ by Paul and James.n

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, what an awesome God You are that You provide both a biological family that supports my faith as well as brothers and sisters in Christ - thank You Jesus!  I am not worth such love.  I worry.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.