Category: Uncategorized

Matthew 13:44

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.

Encouraging Words

It is hard to conceive of finding something so valuable that one would be willing to sell everything that they own in order to purchase the place where it was found. This is how we should view the kingdom of heaven that was ushered in by Jesus. It is more valuable than any thing or every thing that we could ever possess. It is the ultimate treasure. And yet so many of us leave it behind because the shiny bobbles of this temporal realm appear to out shine it. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

Matthew 11:28-30

Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.

Personal Challenge

Which yoke are we taking up and putting on our backs? Is it the yoke of the world or the yoke of Christ? He calls out to us and asks us to come to Him first. He asks us to take up His yoke. He offers us rest in response to our coming to Him and a yoke that is easy and light because He shares the weight. We need to examine the joke that we are carrying to make sure it is truly His. Glory be to God!

Matthew 11:25

At that time Jesus answered and said, “I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes.”

Encouraging Words

As part of our fallenness we have made it good to always be in the pursuit of knowledge. The world believes there is power in knowledge. There has been, and still are, heresies that believe the path to God is through knowledge. The problem with the pursuit of knowledge is that it puts us in control. Jesus often reminded us that God reveals Himself to those who are babes, who put all their trust in their creator. He will hide His truths, His knowledge, from those who have puffed themselves up with the pursuit and acquisition of knowledge. If we want a fruitful and righteous life we need to know God not know about Him. Glory be to God!

Matthew 10:38-39

And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.

Personal Challenge

Jesus quickly follows the challenge to us to proclaim Him as our Lord with the challenge to be willing to give up our lives for Him. He was willing to carry His cross and be sacrificed for us. Are we willing to do the same for Him? He was willing to give up His place in heaven in order to be incarnate and save us. Are we willing to lose our life for Him. He does not present this as an option, but as an expectation. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

Matthew 10:32-33

Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.

Personal Challenge

Are we really ready to confess Christ fully before our fellow man and woman? Are we willing to stand firm on His teachings and precepts even though they may cause conflicts with the systems and people around us? Jesus is not asking us to just say that we are His followers and then do what everyone around us is doing. This is the ultimate form of hypocrisy. He is asking us to proclaim Him as our Lord with our lips and our actions. To demonstrate to the world around us that we desire to follow in His footsteps by walking in His footsteps. Living a life that confesses Jesus as our Lord will create a life that sets us apart from the world and therefore create conflict with the world. Are we ready to live this way? Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

Matthew 10:28

And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

Personal Challenge

It is so easy to get caught up in the things that are happening around us in our world and to let that begin to drive us into a state of fear and apprehension. When we get to this state we either cower in our homes or begin to embrace conspiracies in order to explain it away. As followers of Christ we have nothing to fear. Even our death, which is guaranteed to happen sooner or later is in His hands, as are the life after that death. If we fear anything it should be a fearful respect for our God, who holds our eternal and temporal lives in His hands, and continually pray for His forgiveness and mercy. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

Matthew 9:36-38

But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”