Matthew 16:12-20

Matthew 16:12-20

Jesus ask who He is to Peter.  

Peter says the Christ, the Son of the Living God.  

Jesus gives Peter the keys to the kingdom of heaven.  We have that access too now because of the cross.  

If Jesus was to ask me who I think He is today? 

My Savior.  The one who knows and cares for my soul, the one who intercedes for me before the Father.  The one who gave me His Holy Spirit to be comforter and counselor in my life.  The one who invited and chose me, the one who is preparing a place for me.  The one who didn't just die for the Jewish nation, but for the whole world. The one who is patient and gracious with my doubts and insecurities and struggles.  My healer.  The one who made me a wife of Nick and a mother of four.  My Provider.  Jesus.  Son of God.  With us.  

Matthew 16:5-12

Matthew 16:5-12

Jesus disciples warns His disciples of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.  

To take heed and beware

The disciples think He means He refers to the bread.  

Jesus did not mean the bread and reminds them of all the bread of the miracles He just did.  He says again beware of the leaven of the Pharisees & Sadducees.  

What He meant was beware of their doctrine.  It can spread quickly like leaven and become impossible to separate truth and not truth.  

Application: 

Dear Lord please help me be careful to bring every word and thought captive back into the light of Your truth.  To watch of for doctrine that could seem right but in truth is very wrong.  

I love You Lord.  

Matthew 16:1-4

Matthew 16:1-4

The Pharisees and Sadducees ask that He would show them a sign from heaven.  

Jesus says no sign will be given to them but the sign of Jonah.  

But what is ridiculous is Jesus had been doing tons of signs and miracles in the multitudes of people that came to Him.  Did they not see it?  Instead of acknowledging all that He had done they chose to ignore the miracles.  They didn't really want to believe.  If they did their hearts would be soft an their eyes would have been open to what He had done already.  

Application:  don't forget what Jesus has done in my life.  Remember it and stand on it.  Be assured in it.  

He is not a genie He is my King so treat Him with such honor. 

Matthew 15:32-38

Matthew 15:32-38

Jesus feeds a multitude 7 loaves of bread and two fish.  

How, he breaks what He have and gives it to His disciples to share and the disciples give it to multitudes. In the end everyone (4000 men plus women and children) ate and was filled and there were seven large baskets full of the remaining fragments. 

Then he sent the multitude away and left in a boat for another region. 

Jesus had compassion.  Jesus wanted people to be filled nourished cared for, did not want people to leave without being filled.  

His disciples question:  how will we find enough bread to feed everyone with the circumstances of being in a wilderness, a ton of people, and very little resources.  

Jesus doesn't scold them or shame them reminding them of what He already did before.  He asks them what they have.  And then He uses it and puts them to work.  

Application:  Jesus is so patient.  Even though He has done miracles over our lives, He doesn't slam it over our heads asking us why don't we get it?  Or say because of your doubt I won't do anymore miracles.  

He works with what they have and turns it into another beautiful miracle of Provision.  The points to remember is that He is the one that did the work with what his disciples had.  It's not our job to make the miracle, it's our job to take the miracle and share it with others.  The food Jesus gave to his disciples to share filled all who were there.  All the people were out seeking Jesus.  

How do I do this in my own life?  Be ready to share what He has given me, as little or as much as it seems don't belittle it and not use it.  

Thank You Lord for being so compassionate and gracious to me.  Please take the little and multiply it into Your big :). 

I love You.  

Matthew 15:29-31

Matthew 15:29-31

Continued people being brought up to Jesus on the mountain.  

Mute speaking

Maimed made whole

Lame walking

Blind seeing

All these things brought glory to the God of Israel.  

Jesus wants us to bring our brokenness at His feet.  He wants to heal them.  

My brokenness: my heart...  It has been mislead and misguided and needs fixing to be made right with You.  You are doing a work in me.  You are doing beautiful things in my life.  I am so grateful.  Please help me see the beauty and not just all the broken.  

I love You Lord.  You are my God.  

Matthew 15:21-28

Matthew 15:21-28

A Canaanite woman approaches Jesus asking for Him to save her severely demon possessed daughter.  

The disciples wanted her sent away.  

Her response was one of worship, begging for help, persistent, wanting to take anything at all, even the smallest crumb.

Jesus sees her faith and gives her what she desires.  Her daughter is healed from that very hour.

Application:  

Faith.  Something I have been stumbling with lately.  Feelings of doubt have been seeping in.  A lack of a desire to spend time praying.  Feelings of discouragement.  Shame of feeling like a mom failure.  Fears for my children instead of freedom in trusting Jesus.  Worrying instead of asking and knowing in faith He can do it.  

Today and tomorrow are about going before The Lord in faith and asking for healing, asking for freedom again.  

I would take even the smallest crumb... But have I been asking?  Really asking?  I need His help.  I need to be persistent.  I know the type of mom I can be, but I can't do it.  I need Christ in  me.

I need freedom.  To find that freedom I need the Spirit of The Lord in me.  

Clarity for Your truth in my life.  And removal of all the fears.  It's time to say good bye to the things of the past and move on to today.  

May my faith be great.  May my desire be fulfilled.  

I love You Lord.  I know You to be an amazing God.  Do Your work in me.  I'm ready and willing!  :)

Matthew 15:1-20

Matthew 15:1-20

Jesus addresses the belief that the scribes added to their traditions that they must wash their hands before they eat bread.  

I read in a commentary this tradition comes from the belief that washing your hands was actually a way to wash any demons on you off of your hands, so that the demons didn't enter them through their food when they ate.  

Jesus obliterates this superstition by telling them what enters the mouth to be eaten gets fed to the stomach and is eliminated.  

It's not what goes into the mouth, but it is what comes out of the mouth.  Because what comes out of the mouth originates from the heart and those are the things that can defile a man.  

Things from the heart: evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications , thefts, false witnesses, blasphemies:  

To eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man. 

The Pharisees are vainly worshipping with their words not with their hearts and teaching men's commandments as doctrine.  

Application:  

My heart.  That is where all the defilement is going to come from.  That is where we open ourselves up to defilement.  When we take the struggles in our heart and brig them to fruition.  I've read guard your heart with all diligence from from it flows the springs of life.  The world's philosophy today is definitely follow your heart, but that teaching does not line up to what the Bible says.  The heart is deceiving...  You have to guard it, and also have The Lord set a guard over our mouth.  

That is where we open the door up to struggle.  Not when we eat with unwashed hands.  That's the message Jesus wants to get across.  

Matthew 13:34-36

Matthew 13:34-36

In Genesaret Jesus was recognized and all who were sick were brought to Him and people begged him to touch His hem.  As many who touched it were as many who were made well.  

Faith: they believed if they touched just even His garment they would be healed.  

Application:  I am going away for a night on Friday to spend some time with Jesus because I want to get healed.  I don't know exactly what He has in store for me, but I am going expectantly hoping even to "touch his garment" so to speak to be healed by Him.   I believe He can do it, but I'm also a little scared.  Maybe it's scared of no longer living in the identity of who I was in those things?  I am not sure... But I want to find my way back into a new place in my walk with Him.  

We have access to a Great King who wants to bring great healing in our lives.  And He wants to use the story He does to be able to touch others as well and bring healing to them as well.  It's not an individual all about me work.  It's a healing so that I can share what He does in my life.  

Please help prepare me for the plans You have for me today.  

Matthew 14:22-23

Matthew 14:22-33

Jesus takes the appropriate steps to take time to pray.  He sends the multitudes away and sends His disciples ahead on the sea in a boat.  

He goes up on a mountain by Himself and prays.  When evening came He was alone there.  

Meanwhile the boat is in the middle of the sea being tossed by the wind and the waves.  Jesus walks out to them

In the late night and the disciples are Him and fear.  

Jesus calms then and tells them to not be afraid.  Peter asks if it is Him tell Peter to come out on the water.  

Jesus does and Peter comes, but then He saw the sea and fears and veins to sink.  

Jesus saves him and says: You of little faith why do you doubt?  

The wind ceased when they got in the boat.  

Then all in the boat worshiped Him. 

So much personal application here:  

First, a continued picture - Jesus put aside His desire for quiet and compassionately cares for the multitudes.  But when His work was done He sent them away for quiet again.  And what did He do during His quiet?  He took the time to pray.   

Application:  use my quiet time to pray.  To refresh, recharge and be renewed.  

When He is done, He then goes to rejoin the disciples, meeting them where they are.  

Application:  purpose of alone time, to prepare my heart to reengage in the work He has in front of me.  

Peter sees Jesus and boldly asks to be invited out on the water, but once in the middle of the sea, panics and needs Jesus to save him. 

Application:  I so often have all these big ideas of things I want to do, in ministry and life but then once in the middle of them I can find myself freaking out.  Remember to call to The Lord to help pull me out.  

I am of little faith and I struggle with my doubts.  Right now I have lots of doubts I am sorting through.  But Jesus is the one who is able to calm my heart and the storm it is in the midst of.  I need to remember that and turn to Him when I am sinking in the ocean.  

Lord, please help me in my faith, strengthen it and equip it and help me not forget the days past of Your goodness and miracles and faithfulness in my life.   And that the dreams and plans You have for my life would come to fruition and not sink because of my inability to cope.  Please, heal me so that I may be made well.  Show me the things that distract and bring me into full submission to Your plans.  

I love You.  

Conclusion: 

Take time for quiet to pray and be with You

Re-engage with my family and ministry when I am done

Trust Him in the storms

Allow Him to pick me up and calm my doubts and fears

Worship Him.

 

Matthew 14:13-20

Matthew 14:13-20

When Jesus heard His cousin had died He left to go be by Himself.  

Multitudes followed Him on foot from their great cities

Jesus was moved with compassion and healed their sick.  

At dinner the disciples wanted to send the people away so they all could get food.   

Jesus told them to give them food.  And out of five loaves of bread and two fish He miraculously provides food for all the people with 12 baskets of leftover food remaining.  

Application:  

Jesus was so selfless.  He left for some alone time but He cared about the people in front of Him more.  He provided what they needed even when He was hurting and needing time to process and grieve the loss of His cousin.  Probably also taking the time to think about what lay ahead for Him.  

But He saw the needs.  And so He cared for the needs of others over Himself and put His time aside.  In the next section After He has taken care of them He does send them away so He can have time to pray.  

That's what I am going to be doing this Friday.  I have my children that have needs and I also have some things in my heart that need tending to but I haven't had the time to go clean things up because of the constant needs in front of me.  But this Friday I am going to take the time to go away and pray through with The Lord what needs to be worked through and grieve through loss and repent where I need to repent and forgive what needs to be forgiven, then put it away, and move forward.  

I also am going to be figuring out a time with nick to take a sabbath for a few hours each week.   Not sure what it will look like but it is something we are going to make the time to do.  And hopefully also figure out a way to do that for him as well.  

I have fallen in two different places.  One being so incapable of doing anything because of hurt in my life, and two doing so much that I am so drained.  There needs to be that sabbath time to refresh with The Lord and get myself back into where I need to be.   

So I have energy and refreshment from Him to fulfill the work in front of me He wants me to do.  Starting with loving my husband and my children.  

Matthew 14:1-12

Matthew 14:1-12

When Herod was hearing about Jesus he thought maybe He was John the Baptist back from the dead.  John whom had been beheaded at the request of herodias' daughter

Herod: son of the king who put babies to death when Jesus was born.  Having a relationship with His brother's wife.  See's her daughter dance before them and promises whatever she wants.  

She asks for john's head and although Herod liked John he stuck to his oath and killed him.  

Application:  be careful with the words of my mouth and the promises I make and oath that I say.  Set a guard over my mouth keep watch over my lips Oh Lord.  Sometimes I need a filter especially with what I am saying to my children.  Words can have grave consequences.  They can curse or give life, they have the power to destroy or heal.  Lord please help my words be what You would want me to say.  I love You.  

Matthew 13:53-58

Matthew 13:53-58

Jesus comes down to His own territory to teach in their synagogues.  

People there knew him as the son of a carpenter and the son of Mary and the brother of James Joses Simon and Judas and his sisters.  

They questioned where He got these things and were offended at Him.  

Jesus states a prophet has no honor in his own country.  

Because of their unbelief He did not do many mighty works.

Application:  beware of becoming cold or unfamiliar with Jesus or too comfortable that you would start to have doubts of His work.  

I have been struggling with this lately.  It is hard to pray for things for a long period of time, and not see answers.  But two things I have to remind myself.   

God does not run on my time.  And I cannot change people.  

I think lately I have been having a lack of desire to want to pray.  And that is not a good place to be.  I don't want to miss out on His mighty works or even just taking a moment to lift up His mighty works to be done, because of being apathetic.   

Lord I need some major healing in my life.  You know the areas I am weak in right now, and how drained and empty I am.  I ask that in these coming weeks Your cup may begin to refill into my soul that I may start to find Your life again, and be able to pour back into the lives of those I love most. 

Please take my dry bones and breath Your life in me.  

Matthew 13:47-52

Matthew 13:47-52

Kingdom of heaven is like... A dragnet cast into the sea.  It picked up some of everything.  When it was filled they took it to shore and gathered the good into the vessel.  They threw the bad away.  

The Angels are going to come and separate out the wicked from among the just.  

Wicked will be cast into the furnace of fire.  There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.  

Jesus asks His disciples if they understand.  

He tells them every teacher that is taught about the kingdom of heaven is like a householder bringing out treasures old and new things.   

Application: 

Seek to understand the truth He teaches.  Be available to share it with others.  Understanding both the old and New Testament are very important pieces of understanding my Savior whom I believe in.   Recognize the treasures in the old and the new.  

My past is preparing me and creating me for the new things God is doing in my life.  There are treasures to be found in the old and the new in my life. 

Matthew 13:44-45

Matthew 13:44 & 45

Kingdom of heaven is like...

Treasure hidden in a field which a man found and hid - the man sells all has and buys that field

A merchant seeking beautiful pearls.  When he finds one of great price sells all that he has to buy it 

Two different interpretations:  

1. That we are the ones searching and when we found Jesus we sold all we have for Him

2. That Jesus is the one searching for us that He gives up all He has for us when He finds us, that we are valuable to Him and He buys us with a price.  

If it was to follow the second interpretation it reminds me similarly of the story of the shepherd looking for His lost lamb.  

Application: 

I think it can go both ways for me.  Each of us are so valuable.  Jesus bought us with a price.  We are considered to be great treasure and like costly pears to Him.  On the flip side, the closer we walk with Jesus the more we want to imitate and follow Him.  We know how selfless He was and We want to be like that too.  

But, I cannot do this on my own, in my own strength.  Only by the power of His Spirit in me can I accomplish this.  

Lord please help me be able to know how to find the time to be refreshed in You that I can do what You have called me to do,  with Your love.  

Please.  

Matthew 13:36-43

Matthew 13:36-43

Jesus reveals the parable of the tares of the field to His disciples after He sent the multitude away.  

The man who sows the good seed in the field: Son of Man - Jesus

The field: the world

Good seeds: sons of the kingdom

Tares: sons of the wicked one

The enemy who sowed them: the devil

The harvest: end Of this age

The reapers: the Angels

At the end the angels are going to sort between the tares and the good seed

The tares:  gathered and burned up in the fire, those that offend and practice lawlessness, cast in the furnace of fire:  wailing and gnashing of teeth

The good seed: righteous shining forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father

Conclusion:  those who have ears listen!

Application:  

Celebrate being in His kingdom...  

Also I don't need to concentrate on who are the tares vs who is the wheat.  That's not my judgement call to make.  Christ knows the heart and He will send His angels out at the end to separate them out.  My job is to love those around me and point them to His truth.  And pray for those that need Him.  He has given me so much opportunity to love.  Thank You for that.  And thank You for Your truth and Your Spirit.