Matthew Fifteen,
Vere Two to Four
"Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They dont wash their hands before they eat!" Jesus replied, "And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition? For God said, 'Honor your father and mother' and "anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.'
The first thing that hit me was the word tradition, or religious acts is something that we might say. In this context they spoke of food, but in my mind im talking about the things we do. Our minds are this way but our hearts are another. In this text I feel like my heart is divided, although this passage speaks about honoring your father and mother I am also going to speak about God, THE FATHER!. In my personal life I have all these "duties" or certain things that i must do to gain the love of God, or His affection. But knowing that all is not like that and that His love is free for all is something that till this day gets to me. I still have this legalistic attitude which somewhat leads my life but as God is teaching me more and even in verse Eight; These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men. God looks at the heart, not actions and deeds there not enough quiet times or worship services that could be led or done by me to gain His love. I need to fully trust in His love that it saves me every single day. I feel like everyday needs to be a fight, unclean or clean or should I say clean. I need to stop trying to "wash my hands before i eat" because what good will that do if they just get dirty again. But i need to wash or clean what i dirty my hands with because i know there are a lot of things that i dirty my hands with that are not glorifying or building up the kingdom of God in my life. I need to wash myself or rid myself of those things.
My application,
Dirty or not dirty i need to rid myself of those types of things in my life that make me need to clean. I know that in my life i have certain things like my pride, my selfishness, my guilt, my acts of sexual immorality and they are things that i need to rid myself of or things i need to divide myself of so i can be one with Christ. So His thoughts would be mine.
=).
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Monday, January 26, 2009
The first, in a long longgg time.
Matthews Chapter 14.
Knowing beforehand that i had'nt posted on my blog for a while was my mistake. Lazily i didnt do it, partly because i didnt want to and some because i hadn't had my time with Jesus. =) but i am trying to be faithful and trying t oread everyday so TRUST =) haha
I read from Matthew's Chapter 14.
Verse 15-16
As evening approached, the dsiciples came to him and said, "this is a remote place, and its already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food." Jesus replied "they do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.
I thought these couple verses were verses that i take as a calling that Jesus gives to us. Jesus goes to a solitary place but has the people of the town follow him and asks to heal their sick. But as time went on and on and on it seemed like for the disciples they wanted the crowds to go away so that Jesus and themselves might be able to get some rest. But as they told many to go home and find food and rest for themselves Jesus invites them back and tells the disciples to feed them. In a lot of ways i feel like the disciple in the story, displacing responsibility on others and trying to have them do what is needed to be done when Jesus tells each and every one of us that we are welcome in His home. Responding to this i feel like all of us as servants need to be aware of what God has in store for us, its not for us but for Him. We need to invite those in so that Jesus can feed them 5000 loaves of bread and fish. I think i need to be aware of the hands that i am in and the hands that i am to lead people into also. I am not the best, no way shape or form but many times i feel that way. I need to repent of my sins and really cahgne to become more humble so that God can use me in a more powerful way.
Verse 25-29
During the fourth watch of the night Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. "its a ghost, they said, and cried out in fear. But Jesus immediately said to them: Take courage! it is I. Dont be afriad. Lord if its you, Peter replied, tell me t ocome to you on the water. Come, he said.
INVITATIONS! Theres a lot of things that i see that God might be trying to show me. One is in my own lack of spiritual awareness or Gods presence. Although these verses are speaking directly to the disciples that are on the boat waiting for Jesus while he is praying to His Father they wait. And after a while after Jesus does come they are afraid, not knowing who it is and testing God. I feel like this message relates to me very well, in my life i wouldnt say i know the bible at all, i understand a little bit here and a little there but not a full bibical understanding of who God is. Thats something im working on =). As i read this i had this knock on my heart about my conviction for this semester (to read the bible all the way through). I want to know God, KNOW HIM! i want to nkow him so that i would know his will and his plans so i can work accordingly to His will. I know its tough but i feel like it is something that needs to be done. I want to be confident in knowing that its Him im speaking to at night and its Him im worshipping or serving. Because He tells us to take courage! It is IIII. Dont be afriad. And after a while He asks us to come.
Application. Come, Go, Receive. Those words are things that i need to kneel down before God, i really want to become a prayer warrior. Theres so much struggle in other peoples lives, especially my own. But on behalf of those in the Church that i serve i really want to become a servant and really intercede for them, I want to pray for those in the Church to build up a stronger community IN CHRIST, not in drinking, partying, but through Christ.
Knowing beforehand that i had'nt posted on my blog for a while was my mistake. Lazily i didnt do it, partly because i didnt want to and some because i hadn't had my time with Jesus. =) but i am trying to be faithful and trying t oread everyday so TRUST =) haha
I read from Matthew's Chapter 14.
Verse 15-16
As evening approached, the dsiciples came to him and said, "this is a remote place, and its already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food." Jesus replied "they do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.
I thought these couple verses were verses that i take as a calling that Jesus gives to us. Jesus goes to a solitary place but has the people of the town follow him and asks to heal their sick. But as time went on and on and on it seemed like for the disciples they wanted the crowds to go away so that Jesus and themselves might be able to get some rest. But as they told many to go home and find food and rest for themselves Jesus invites them back and tells the disciples to feed them. In a lot of ways i feel like the disciple in the story, displacing responsibility on others and trying to have them do what is needed to be done when Jesus tells each and every one of us that we are welcome in His home. Responding to this i feel like all of us as servants need to be aware of what God has in store for us, its not for us but for Him. We need to invite those in so that Jesus can feed them 5000 loaves of bread and fish. I think i need to be aware of the hands that i am in and the hands that i am to lead people into also. I am not the best, no way shape or form but many times i feel that way. I need to repent of my sins and really cahgne to become more humble so that God can use me in a more powerful way.
Verse 25-29
During the fourth watch of the night Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. "its a ghost, they said, and cried out in fear. But Jesus immediately said to them: Take courage! it is I. Dont be afriad. Lord if its you, Peter replied, tell me t ocome to you on the water. Come, he said.
INVITATIONS! Theres a lot of things that i see that God might be trying to show me. One is in my own lack of spiritual awareness or Gods presence. Although these verses are speaking directly to the disciples that are on the boat waiting for Jesus while he is praying to His Father they wait. And after a while after Jesus does come they are afraid, not knowing who it is and testing God. I feel like this message relates to me very well, in my life i wouldnt say i know the bible at all, i understand a little bit here and a little there but not a full bibical understanding of who God is. Thats something im working on =). As i read this i had this knock on my heart about my conviction for this semester (to read the bible all the way through). I want to know God, KNOW HIM! i want to nkow him so that i would know his will and his plans so i can work accordingly to His will. I know its tough but i feel like it is something that needs to be done. I want to be confident in knowing that its Him im speaking to at night and its Him im worshipping or serving. Because He tells us to take courage! It is IIII. Dont be afriad. And after a while He asks us to come.
Application. Come, Go, Receive. Those words are things that i need to kneel down before God, i really want to become a prayer warrior. Theres so much struggle in other peoples lives, especially my own. But on behalf of those in the Church that i serve i really want to become a servant and really intercede for them, I want to pray for those in the Church to build up a stronger community IN CHRIST, not in drinking, partying, but through Christ.
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