He answered, “A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.

Matthew 12

He answered, “A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. v39

Jesus wants us to have faith.  He also wants us to understand that life is not designed by Him to be easy (see John 16:33) - it has not been since the Fall (see Genesis 3, in particular v17-19).


We must all get to a place where we need Jesus -  and He is our Savior.


Once we acknowledge our need for a Savior, we must daily seek Him and build a relationship with Him, and He WILL transform our hearts and lives.

We must have faith - see Hebrews 11.

develop and cultivate relationship with God

For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.

Matthew 12

For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. v34

Jesus continues to heal the sick and drive out demons from those possessed.  Yet the Pharisees, concerned about their status and power (and not the glory of God), challenged Jesus' power and authority to perform such miracles.  Jesus knows their thoughts (v25) and challenges their motives by tossing their reasoning on its head.  

I am reminded of how even believers judge other believers and even the church itself out of selfish motives.  I've been guilty of this myself.  We should be mindful of our motives when we act and say things.

We should check out heart condition. 

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an amazing God who loves me and who has transformed my heart and life to be more like You.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not worth such love.  I daily miss the mark - for example, 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.

“Here is my servant whom I have chosen, the one I love, in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will proclaim justice to the nations. He will not quarrel or cry out; no one will hear his voice in the streets. A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out, till he has brought justice through to victory. In his name the nations will put their hope.” v18-21

Matthew 12

“Here is my servant whom I have chosen, the one I love, in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will proclaim justice to the nations.  He will not quarrel or cry out; no one will hear his voice in the streets. A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out,
till he has brought justice through to victory. In his name the nations will put their hope.” v18-21

Jesus has a purpose - to fulfill Old Testament prophecy of a coming Savior who was to save us from being a slave to the (ceremonial) law.  See also the reference here to Isaiah 42:1-4, as well as post yesterday.  He makes a new covenant with us based on the shedding of His blood on the cross.  Just as Jesus could not be distracted from His purpose, Jesus gives us a purpose and we are not to be distracted.

Psalm 139:13-16 
Ephesians 2:10 
1 Corinthians 12
Hebrews 12:1

Jesus, please help me stay focused on Your mission for me.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, what an amazing God You are that You died for me...knowing everything about me, including my sin.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not worth such love...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. 

I tell you that something greater than the temple is here. If you had known what these words mean, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice,’you would not have condemned the innocent.

Matthew 12

I tell you that something greater than the temple is here. If you had known what these words mean, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice,’you would not have condemned the innocent. v6-7

Our faith is about leaving a mark on others - and the Pharisees focused on the ceremonial law...and about their status and about being right.  Jesus came so that we do not have to focus on the ceremonial law but focus on the moral law of loving God and loving others.  And Jesus is a fulfillment of Old Testament law...freeing us to focus on what Jesus calls the two top commandments (Matthew 22:37-40).  The Ten Commandments provide us an example of the moral law and the two top commandments as defined in commandments 1-4 (love God), and 5-10 (love others). 

When we love God, He transforms our hearts and minds to be more like His (Romans 8:5-8 , Romans 12:2) and as a natural response we want to love others because God loves all of His children.  I can see this in my own life as I know God loves me and so I am seeking service opportunities outside of the church so that others outside the church can see the love of God at work and be drawn to Him.  

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an amazing God who loves me and frees from the rituals of the Old Testament ceremonial law, freeing me to love and serve Him and to love others.  Thank You Jesus for this freedom.  Yet I am undeserving of how You love and bless me as I daily miss the mark and fail to live for You and others.  Please forgive me and help me turn from such sin and 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.

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

Matthew 11

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” v28-30

Life sometimes has a sense of endlessness, and I mean that in bad way, and we can often just get worn down to point of giving up in the face of challenges we face.  I've been there.  Yet I gain strength through my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and sustains and strengthens me like no other.

As I posted yesterday, God will never leave or forsake us, and He is with us until the end of the age. He also provides for us and sustains us.  He loves us.  See also post here.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God and You provide for all things, You sustain me, strengthen me, love me, and You will never leave or forsake me - thank You Jesus!  I am not worth such love.  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.

“Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven."

Matthew 10

“Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven." v32-33

Jesus wants us to take His words that He proclaims "in the dark" and shout them from the rooftops (v27).  We must bear witness (as a living sacrifice - see Romans 12:1) both in our lives and our words...and not be afraid of the consequences...and Jesus points out many such possible consequences: arrest and/or physical harm (v17-18), family and community scorn (v21-22), and intense temptation and fear planted by Satan (v28).  

While Jesus does warn us (see also John 16:33), He also encourages us.  First and foremost, He will never leave or forsake us, He is with us until the end of the age, and He will give us the words to say (v19-20).

Jesus, please help me be bold.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who has transformed my heart and life - thank You Jesus!  I am not worth such love and blessing.  I am often afraid and weak - 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.

Do not get any gold or silver or copper to take with you in your belts—no bag for the journey or extra shirt or sandals or a staff, for the worker is worth his keep....If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet.

Matthew 10

Do not get any gold or silver or copper to take with you in your belts—no bag for the journey or extra shirt or sandals or a staff, for the worker is worth his keep....If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet. v9,14

At the end of Matthew 9, Jesus requests that His disciples "[a]sk the Lord of the harvest...to send out workers into his harvest field".  John Piper implies that the sending of the twelve is a response to prayer for more workers for the harvest.  Piper goes on to implore us to pray, and he provides many words on why and how we should pray - a good starter is here.  With regards to the sending out of the twelve disciples, Jesus wants the disciples to trust in Him as the provider and to focus on the message, not the outcome.  Pray for the outcome but remember that God is in charge of the outcome. 

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an incredible God who has answered many prayers of my own and also those of others who have prayed for me - thank You Jesus!  I am not worthy of Your love and grace.  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.