Faith Archives - Page 2 of 12

Lessons from Matthew 17: Transforming Faith

July 20, 2017 By terrihamman Leave a Comment

Transforming Faith

When Jesus and the three disciples returned, there was a crowd of people gathered. And out of the crowd came the father of a demon possessed boy.

The Bible states that the boy had been tormented by a demon. In desperation, the father of the boy brought his son to the disciples. Though Jesus had previously given them the power and authority to deliver people from demons and disease, this time they had failed! Nothing they had done could drive this demon out of the little boy!

When Jesus came upon the scene, the father approached Him and he knelt down before Him. In humility, recognizing Jesus’s power and authority, he asked Jesus to have mercy on his son.

The boy’s father explained to Jesus that the boy had seizures. At that time, it was a disease associated with demon possession. The father went on to explain the severity of the disease by describing to Jesus the desperation of the situation.

The boy would frequently fall into the fire or water, putting him in harm’s way. The father was desperate for his son and his life. He told Jesus that he had brought the boy to the disciples but they had failed to help him.

Can you imagine the desperation in the father’s eyes, the look of the little boy, but also the look of failure in the eyes of disciples? What happened?

These men had been given the power and authority of Jesus to drive out demons and heal the sick–where had they gone wrong?

I feel safe in saying I bet they wondered the same thing!

And Jesus nailed the problem. Their faith was the issue. Not in the quantity of faith, for Jesus said even a small amount of faith is enough to move mountains. So what was the problem?

The problem was the quality of their faith.

Our faith is only as strong as the object of our faith.

If our faith is in ourselves, there comes a point and time that in our sinful state we will fail to produce our desired dreams on our own. If our faith is in our jobs, our own families, in our comfort, or our bank accounts, we will find them limited and ever-changing.

But there remains one constant throughout all history! And that is the truth of our Lord Jesus Christ and His works. To place our faith in anything else will always prove to be futile, unsuccessful, empty, and meaningless

Faith in Jesus Christ, His Word and works and nothing else, is the Christian’s power source, through which nothing will be impossible!

In what is your faith placed? In your gifts, talents or abilities? Do you place your faith in your own methods or techniques or formulas?

Maybe you have place your faith in your obedience? Your obedience to do the work God has called you to do, but you do it in your own strength and thus the results are fruitless?

It would do us all some good to take a look at where have we left God out of the equation and thus removed or hindered His power source!

From all appearances, this father had more quality in His faith in Jesus than Jesus’s own disciples.

And Jesus asked, How long? How long will it take? How long shall I put up with your limited vision of who I am and what I can do in and through you?

He told the man to bring the boy to Him. Jesus rebuked the demon and it came out and the boy was healed at that moment!

Jesus knew His time with these disciples was short and they were going to have need of every ounce of their faith in Him in order to overcome the mountains of obstacles that were going to come their way. So once again He proves His power and authority over all things!

Might we, like this father, come before His throne of grace and call out for mercy and seek God’s help in our seemingly helpless situation. Then may we trust Him to move the mountains of difficulties. And if we are struggling with unbelief, may we also confess, like this father did: Lord, I believe, but help me in my unbelief!

True confession is good for the body, mind, and soul and it frees us up to see Jesus do the impossible things in and through us.

Lessons from Matthew 17: Spiritual High Points

July 17, 2017 By terrihamman Leave a Comment

Spiritual High Points

After the transfiguation, as Jesus and the three disciples were headed down from the mountain top, the scriptures tell us that Jesus instructed them not to tell anyone what had taken place.

The time would come, after Jesus’s death and resurrection, that the facts about the event could and should be told, but for now they were to remain silent.

But they had questions about the appearance of Elijah and so they asked. Jesus graciously answered and disclosed to them that Elijah had already come in the person of John the Baptist, to prepare the way for Jesus Christ. Yet the people did not recognize him and he suffered greatly at their hands.

In the same way, Jesus said, the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands. One greater than Elijah and John the Baptist was there with them, and though they still appeared not to “get” it, they gained a little more insight.

It is the resurrection that would be the ultimate teacher. We will see that later on in Matthew 26:50-56. It is then that the “lights” would finally come on and their understanding would be complete.

But for now they understood what Jesus had been saying about John the Baptist. Though, they were still limited in their thinking and understanding about Jesus and the cross!

Spiritual High Points

This had truly been a mountain top experience for the three disciples. They had experienced for themselves the glory and splendor of the Lord Jesus Christ. Yet there was still work to be done, and so they turned the next morning and headed down the mountain.

We too must remember that it is good to pull away and find a private hideaway and be with the Lord, whether individually or with the body of Christ. But like a holiday, these times are not to be permanent. They are meant to be a time of refreshment and refinement, but then we are to return to the work at hand!

Have you experienced some spiritual high points where you have understood some truth about Jesus Christ for the first time?

These spiritual high points are God’s preparation for you. Will you trust God to give you the courage and joy to face what He wants you to do?

I don’t know what that might be, but you know what He is calling you to do!

Won’t you agree with Him and just do it? You will be rewarded both here and in eternity for it!

Lessons from Matthew 17: Glory

July 13, 2017 By terrihamman Leave a Comment

I would like to share with you a time when God revealed a glimpse of His glory to me.

It was when I went to the Bible Study Fellowship headquarters for training as a potential class leader.

Prior to this visit I, and several others, had served as volunteers. On one such visit we were taken briefly into the library where all of Miss Johnson’s books and Bibles were kept.

We were told that this privilege was only reserved for teachers and staff, so there was not much chance of ever getting back in there again. Before we left, Jeanette, the full-time volunteer at the time, pulled one of Miss Johnson’s Bibles from the shelf. It was green with a pink ribbon to mark the pages and Jeanette told us that this was the Bible Miss J used while she battled cancer.

She showed us several of the places that Miss J had written like a diary in this Bible. My heart yearned to get back in that place and read what she had inscribed on its pages. But upon return volunteer visits it never happened.

Then when I went back for the teacher training, on the last day I was waiting for a meeting. The usual chain of events was that while waiting, most went to serve in the printing press. But, as God would have it, the press was down and we were given the opportunity to wait in the library.

I ran! I ran to get my brand new Bible and I went silently into the library. And after some time I located the cherished Bible. I sat in a comfortable chair looking out into an outside atrium and off to the right was a picture of Miss J.

I sat there and prayed for some time. Then I opened her Bible with all the tender loving care that I could. What I opened to was Leviticus, where Moses was instructed by God to anoint Aaron and his sons for their priestly duties.

I had known for a while that God was indeed calling me to teach and train others in His Word. And as I read this scripture passage, a brilliant light broke through the Texas clouds. It had been gloomy all day, but suddenly this brilliant light shined brightly on this Bible in my lap. It spread out until it surrounded the chair I was sitting in.

Now there were others in the library too at that time and I wondered if this light was filling the whole room. But to my astonishment, this light had been reserved for my sight only, and in my area only. The others were not aware of what was going on for they were in the middle of a light-hearted cheerful conversation, oblivious to what was taking place.

I sat there for a few moments and tried to drink it all in. But my time was interrupted by the secretary’s call of my name. It was really kind of surreal. I knew I still had to be confirmed by the leadership as a teacher, but in that moment I knew I had just been confirmed by God.

When things get tough, as leadership can, and when I doubt as I sometimes do, I go back and remember the glory of God that was revealed to me at that time when I needed Him most. For without His confirmation and the BSF leadership’s affirmation, the work I do would be for naught.

Because whenever we think we can, we must know that we cannot. But rather it is God in us that makes anything possible!

And again this is where He receives all the glory and honor and praise!

How have you witnessed the glory of God? Maybe through His Word and promises to you? Maybe through someone God has sent to come alongside you?

I don’t know that. But what I do know is that He desires to reveal Himself to us. To comfort us, to console us, and to encourage us!

What will you do in order to be more aware of His presence? Will you bow down in worship? Will you spend more time in prayer or study?

Whatever you do, put your whole heart, mind, body, and soul to it and I know you will be amazed!

Lessons from Matthew 17: Transfiguration

July 10, 2017 By terrihamman Leave a Comment

In our last lesson, we discussed the importance of having a regular time of prayer and journaling.

So now let me ask you this: What will you do to begin this glorious journey? What time will you set aside each day to have a conversation with God? Do you have a place in mind? A quiet closet, your car, somewhere no one can disturb or interrupt your time alone with God?

Transfiguration

As Jesus was praying into the night (which we can take from Luke 9:37) Peter, James, and John became eyewitnesses to His glorious transfiguration.

Matthew, Mark, and Luke all describe this glorious event in which Jesus was revealed, not in His human form, but rather in His heavenly state. The veil of flesh was lifted and He appeared in His glorified state.

We are told that Jesus’s face was transfigured and it became as bright as the sun. His clothes, which would have been dark and unremarkable, became as white as the light. In fact, we are told they became dazzling white, as bright as a flash of lightning, whiter than anyone could bleach them.

And if that was not enough to take in, Moses, the Old Testament lawgiver, and Elijah, the Old Testament prophet, both appeared on the scene and began to speak with Jesus.

Luke also discloses to us that Moses and Elijah came to speak to Jesus regarding His soon-to-be departure. God the Father had imparted His plans to these two saints of the OT and sent them from heaven to confirm the Father’s will.

Jesus would go forward.

He would face the cross of suffering. And now these three men–Peter, James, and John–were given a confirming sign. However, they didn’t fully understand it at the time! This became apparent as Peter, sweet spontaneous Peter, offered to build three shelters.

But while Peter was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from within the cloud began to speak. The three witnesses heard these confirming words, “This IS MY SON, whom I love…”

Even though the cross would bring Jesus’s death, ultimately it would also bring forth new life. The resurrected life of Jesus as the Christ and new life for all who would choose to place their faith in Him. Jesus would not die as a punishment for His sins, for He was sinless. Jesus would die because of His Father’s great love for Him and for us.

Thus the next words, “…with him I am well pleased.”

Jesus remained the sinless lamb of God, the perfect sacrifice, one without spot or blemish. He was holy and pure, and God the Father said, “Listen to him!”

In the word “listen” you can also find the word, “silent.” It would do us all some good if we remained silent long enough to hear God speak.

When the three disciples heard this, they fell face down, becoming prostate before the Lord in terror. But verse 7 says it was Jesus who came to them and touched them. He encouraged them to get up and told them not to be afraid. And when they looked up, everyone was gone except Jesus.

What was the purpose of this transfiguration?

The purpose was to prepare these men for what lay ahead. It was to confirm Jesus’s mission and affirm their part in it!

Lessons from Matthew 17: Prayer

July 6, 2017 By terrihamman Leave a Comment

In today’s lesson we encounter the glory of God and His transforming power.

“What is the glory of God?” you may ask.

Simply put, the glory of God is the visible evidence of His greatness.

There is plenty of testimony in the Bible that tells us of those who witnessed God’s glory. People like Moses, in the burning bush, Paul on the road to Damascus, and others.

And we too experience His glory as we take the time to see people, places, and things through His heavenly lens. All we have to do is look up into the light of day and capture the sky, the sun, or the stars by night to witness the glory of God.

Psalm 19:1 tells us that the heavens declare the glory of God; and the skies proclaim what His hands have made.

You can’t help but look in the face of a brand new baby and marvel at God’s goodness. These things and more reveal the glory of God to us today!

Jesus Christ Reveals the Glory of God through His Words and Works

Matthew 17:1-13

It had only been about a week since Jesus and the disciples’ encounter with the religious leaders, Peter’s confession of faith, and Jesus’s enlightenment to the disciples of His need to go to the cross.

And then Jesus took Peter, the one upon whom Jesus would build His church, and James, who would be the first martyr, and John, who would write Revelation and the epistles up a high mountain.

This mountain is thought to be Mt. Hermon. Mt. Hermon is about 9,400 feet and 11,000 feet above the sunken Jordan valley. It is known for its snow but also for its beauty. It is said that, once to the top, you can see for miles in every direction. And though Jesus most likely did not take these men all the way to the top, He did take them on quite a hike. He wanted to remove them from all distractions and crowds of people in order to be alone with them.

And it is in Luke that we also find that Jesus did so that He might pray.

It would do us good to stop here and ask ourselves: If Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God, took time to pull away from the distractions of life and the crowds of people how much more would we as His children benefit from the same exercise?

Prayer is like exercise in many ways. It takes time and effort and sometimes it can be quite a workout! But it is vital and a necessary part of every Christian’s life.

What is prayer?

Prayer is basically conversation with God. In prayer you give your words to God. You offer up your praise for who He is, your thanksgiving for what He has done. And then it is where you lift up your confessions and requests and then rely upon Him for His will and His answer.

Then you listen.

You listen to what He has to say to you. He speaks through His Word and through His Holy Spirit. The more we know of His Word and the more time we spend in His presence, the more likely we are to hear and know what He is saying to us.

Like exercise, prayer needs to be a regular part of our daily living. It is ongoing! In fact, God instructs us in His Word to pray without ceasing. This means, no matter what situation or circumstance you find yourself in, you should always be lifting your voice up to God. In times of joy and in times of suffering!

And the way to begin is also like exercise: You just do it! You simply set aside time and you come before His throne of grace. It doesn’t matter if you get up and get a cup of coffee or tea, get down on your knees, or sit in a chair, whether you grab a pen and a piece of paper or a computer or iPad, or nothing at all. Just set aside that time.

I highly recommend journaling your love letters to God so you can go back and recall His goodness, His grace, and His mercy. It’s the way to see prayers answered. And though there is not one method perfect for all, the importance comes in doing the act.

Whether you start with 5 words or five minutes, I will tell you that in no time your conversations will grow and His answers will come!

Prayer is an essential part of a Christian’s relationship with God.

Lessons from Matthew 20: Promise of Power

July 3, 2017 By terrihamman Leave a Comment

Promise of Power

Matthew 20:29-21:16

And now we come to Jesus’s climatic entrance into the city of Jerusalem. Once again, on His way, He stopped and cared for those in need.

Jesus knew His death was imminent, yet He was not thinking of himself but of others. As He was approached by two blind men who were sitting along the roadside, He stopped and took care of their needs. He healed them and immediately they too followed Jesus.

As they reached the Mount of Olives prior to entering into Jerusalem, Jesus told two of His disciples to go at once and find a donkey and her colt and bring them to Him. And He said if anyone asks, tell them that the Lord needs them and they will respond right away!

We don’t know if this was prearranged or not. But what we do know is that both the disciples who went and the owner of the animals responded with acts of obedience.

Are you that likely to do as God has instructed you?

They returned with the donkey and they placed their cloaks on it and Jesus sat on it. Thus began this royal procession. And the people joined in by spreading their cloaks on the road before Him and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road.

The people openly praised Jesus and shouted, ”Hosanna to the Son of David!” “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Hosanna in the highest!”

When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city came alive and asked, “Who is this?” And the people responded, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”

These words of praise and prayer come from Psalm 118:25-26 and they were used at the feasts of dedication, Tabernacles, and the Passover. Since Jesus entered Jerusalem during Passover, the city was bustling with people. Specifically Jewish people coming to the Temple and offering their sacrifices to be presented in celebration of the Passover Feast.

It was a time when every Jew came together to remember what God had done for them by delivering them from the bondage of the Egyptians.

Cleansing the Temple

But there were merchants in the temple courtyard who were taking advantage of those who had come. They were overcharging people from other cities and towns to convert their money and they were falsely telling those who had brought sacrifices that theirs were not without blemish. Thus, they were forcing the people to purchase sacrifices at inflated prices.

As Jesus entered the courtyard, He became keenly aware of what these religious leaders were doing and how they were keeping this money for themselves. He became so full of righteous indignation that He overturned the tables of the money changers.

He told them that His house was to be called a house of prayer, but they had made it a den of robbers.

These men and their practices had defiled the Temple, making it an unholy place for worshipping God. Jesus exercised His power and authority as the Son of God by driving out the buyers and the sellers.

Jesus is the same life-giving God today and He promises to cleanse our hearts if we will let Him. He promises to save us from ourselves and bring about His sanctification as we live to love and honor Him.

Believers receive power to live the resurrected life in and through Jesus Christ!

Are you living for the glory of His praise? Are you laying down your idols that you might live for Him and be used to draw others to Him also? What are you doing to show Jesus that you believe in Him and trust Him to see you through this thing called life?

Well, last but not least, we see Jesus once again set aside His own agenda and desires in order that He might make Himself available to those in need. Verse 14 tells us that Jesus once again healed the blind and lame that came to Him.

But as the chief priests and teachers of the law saw these wonderful things Jesus did and heard the children in the courtyard shouting Jesus’s praises, they became indignant.

They asked Jesus if He heard what the children were saying. Jesus responded, “Yes,” “have you never read, ‘From the lips of children and infants you, Lord, have called forth your praise’?”

Jesus offered no other reason, no defense. And He left that place and went to Bethany to spend the night.

What are you doing to shout your praises to King Jesus? Does your life, your choices, your words, and your actions sing His praises? Or are you robbing Him and others of seeing and hearing His goodness lived out through your life?

May we all learn to continually offer up our voices in praise and adoration and may others hear and come to Him because of it!

Is your love for God something others are aware of? What needs to be thrown out of your life, God’s temple? How will you openly speak of Jesus and publicly praise Him?

Lessons from Matthew 19: Suffering

June 29, 2017 By terrihamman Leave a Comment

Promise of Suffering

Matthew 20:17-28

After promising the disciples places of honor in His kingdom, Jesus took them and began His journey to Jerusalem. On the way He shared with them what was about to take place.

Jesus said, “…the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day he will be raised to life!”

And then the mother of Zebedee’s sons, James and John, came to Jesus and asked Him to grant her sons favor in His sight. That one of them might sit at His right and the other at His left. Jesus answered her question by pointing out that she knew nothing of what she was asking.

Then He turned to the sons and asked, “Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?” and they answered, “We can.”

You see, the disciples missed what Jesus was saying. They mistakenly thought that Jesus’s entrance into Jerusalem would mean the inauguration of His earthly reign. And, as His followers, they would be given positions of greatness.

But this was not the way it was to be.

Jesus did indeed promise that both of these men would taste His cup of suffering. That promise was fulfilled as James was later martyred (Acts 12:1-2) and John was exiled in his old age to the island of Patmos where he spent his last days (Rev.1:9).

But as for the places of honor, those were not His to give. Jesus said in Matthew 20:23 that those were for the Father alone to give.

When the other 10 disciples heard this, they became indignant and began to argue amongst themselves. Jesus called them together and began again to lovingly and patiently teach them that His ways were not the ways of the world.

In order to follow Jesus one would not be lifted up but, rather, laid low.

Jesus said whoever seeks to be great must learn to serve others. Whoever wants to be first must learn to put others before himself, even if that means being last. And then Jesus led by example and said to them, “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.”

So should those who follow Him, teaching us that:

Those who belong to God must grow in sacrificial living.

Jesus Christ came that He might give His life for us. He who committed no sin, would be the sin offering for us. Jesus came to seek and save the lost and to serve others. His service took Him straight to the cross where He died a horrific death that you and I might live.

And as his servants, we too have been called to lay down our rights, and become His bondservants. Free from sin yet obligated to suffer for His glory and honor and praise!

What is it that God is asking you to lay down in order that you might follow Him more fully? Are you refusing or delaying God’s call for you?

Some of you have left plenty and are currently suffering for the kingdom of God. You are suffering the misunderstanding of your family members who can’t understand why you would give so much of your time to Bible study. Why you would stop living the way you used to. And on and on it goes.

What they don’t understand is that the more we let go–the more we give–the more we receive. We see more blessing as a result of following Christ and there is nothing in this world that can satisfy our souls more than a personal relationship with our Creator God.

There is nothing we would rather be doing than serving in His kingdom!

Like Paul, might we agree with the words of Philippians 3:7-12:

But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.

Lessons from Matthew 19: Parables

June 26, 2017 By terrihamman Leave a Comment

Parables

The parable of the land owner, from our last lesson, reminds me of the parable of the prodigal son. Do you know that one?

It is about the son who asked his father for his inheritance and then left and squandered it on loose living. Then one day he humbly returned, willing to be accepted as a hired hand and not elevated to the place of sonship. It was the other brother, who had remained faithful to the Father, who was furious for the treatment of the brother. The Father brought out the best he had to celebrate the lost son’s return.

Both of these parables seem to refer to the gift of eternal life. Some come sooner and some later. But the important thing is that they come. And each one comes at the prompting of God Himself.

So don’t get hung up on when you came. Rather, rejoice in the fact that He called and you responded. And know that the gift of eternal life is yours both now and forevermore.

Now that’s a reason to rejoice, and yet that’s not even all there is!

Jesus promises rewards both now and for eternity to those who respond to His call and receive eternal life!

God, because of who He is, blesses us not only in eternity to come but also here in this present world. He gives us a taste of things to come. But we don’t do these things for that reason. We do them out of love and in obedience to His call, and we still reap the benefits.

For those who sow much will reap much. Those who sow little, little will they reap, no matter how long they have been a Christian.

It’s not years that are counted, but rather a heart set on fulfilling all that God has for them in this life until the day they pass from here to eternity!

So let me ask you, are you counted among the saved or the lost? Won’t you hear His call and come and confess your sins before Him and receive eternal life?

It’s not too late! But don’t put off His call for another day. Today might be all you have!

Or are you saved and sitting in your seat week after week taking it all in? Are you not doing a thing with what you have or are learning?

Being a student is good, but being a servant is the greater good of serving others. So what is God calling you to do for Him and for His people? Might not others suffer because you won’t do you part?

Do you harbor any thoughts that you deserve blessings from God because of your faith in Him or because of the works you have done?

Or maybe you are angry with God because He is withholding something you desire. Won’t you confess your sin against Him and trust that your Father knows what’s best?

You see, it’s only when we recognize our failures–our failure to keep God’s Word, to love him and others as we should, and our to use that which He has blessed us with–that we truly come to recognize how great the grace of God really is!

And therefore we should rejoice not only in our own salvation but also in the salvation of others. No matter how soon or how late in life this happens. And we must remember there is nothing we can do for Him that He can’t do for Himself. Any righteous acts we do comes from and through Him and Him alone.

Yet He desires that we take part in His glorious work as a result of receiving His great grace! And we have a responsibility to hold it out to others that they might receive it also.

Lessons from Matthew 19: Salvation

June 22, 2017 By terrihamman Leave a Comment

Salvation

After hearing the illustration of the camel and needle, Jesus’s disciples were greatly astonished. You could even say they were flabbergasted to hear Jesus teaching that the wealthy would find it impossible to receive salvation.

Because they and many others had wrongly equated wealth with salvation!

And in their perplexity they asked Jesus, “Who then can be saved?”

You see, the disciples still had a lot of the Pharisees’ beliefs in them. They and the Jewish people had grown up in the school of thought that blessings or wealth were often associated with the favor of God.

But Jesus said that these things and the love of them often get in the way of a person’s love for God. Therefore, those who had such possessions, power, and prestige were more difficult to reach.

Why? Because such individuals can be self-reliant and have no room for God or the things of God.

They falsely believe that they have earned all they have, excluding God and His gracious provision on all accounts. Such people are usually self-indulgent and self-gratifying. They do what they please and not what God desires for them to do with what they have been given.

God is completely out of the equation in their minds and hearts and actions. Sadly, they are often so unaware of Him and His presence. And though they often do good things in the eyes of the world, these things are empty in God’s eyes. They are void of His presence and are often self-serving acts of glorification for themselves. Therefore, they receive their rewards here on earth, forfeiting heaven’s rewards and promises.

But Jesus offered hope! He said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26). It was a reminder that salvation has nothing to do with man and everything to do with God. Even the making of a decision for Christ comes from God Himself.

It is God who initiates a relationship with us, for on our own we would not seek Him.

We learn this truth through Romans 3:10-18 where Paul says:

As it is written: ‘There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.’

Apart from Christ there is no good thing in us.

And therefore there is nothing we can do to earn His love or salvation. Nothing, that is, but to accept His free gift of salvation and eternal life. There is but one way to heaven and that is through faith in Christ and His redeeming work of salvation on the cross.

Anything and everything else falls short of His glory and therefore is a counterfeit. Something which the Devil would love for you to believe in.

And then it was dear sweet Peter who spoke his mind and raised the question, “Jesus we have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?”

So what Peter was asking is something we all (if we were really honest) have asked at one time or another in our Christian walk.

Lord, if I leave it all to follow you, if I let go of my places of entertainment, my drinking, my circle of friends, what will I receive in return?

Peter had left his family, he had left his fishing business, he had left it all in order to follow Jesus and he wondered what his sacrifices might bring.

Jesus didn’t rebuke Peter for asking such a question. Instead, He promised Peter and the others that they would be gathered with Him. And at the renewal of all things, referring to the new heaven and the new earth, each one will reign with Him, judging the 12 tribes of Israel.

In verses 29-30, Jesus promised that everyone who has left houses, brothers, sisters, fathers, mothers, children, or fields for His sake will receive a hundred times more in this life. (The gospel of Mark includes, “and will inherit eternal life.”)

And then Jesus added this: “But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.”

He then taught them with a parable about a land owner.

The land owner went out early in the morning and hired men to work for him. He agreed to pay these men a denarius for the day’s work and they went out and did what they had been hired to do.

About the third hour, he went out again and saw others with nothing to do and he told them that they too could come work for Him. But this time he just said he would pay them what was right. These workers trusted him to be a fair man and they went to work.

Again, about the six hour, and at the ninth hour, the land owner did the same thing. And again at the 11th hour, well into the work day, the land owner went out and found still others standing around with nothing to do. He asked them, “Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?” They replied, “Because no one has hired us.”

Maybe these are people whom the gospel has not yet reached. Or those who have simply failed to respond but now it has become clear that their lives are empty and without meaning. Now they respond to the work the land owner has for them. You see where this is going, right?

When evening came (the end), the owner of the vineyard (God Himself) sent out His foreman (the Holy Spirit) to call the workers so that they may receive their wages. He started with the last ones first. To them He gave a full day’s wages, though they had worked the least. And so the others, who had been hired first, thought they would receive more.

But instead, each one received exactly the same–the agreed upon amount of one denarius–and they began to grumble against the landowner. They complained that He had made the others who had come after them equal to them who had born more of the burden, working more hours and in the heat of the day, suffering for longer.

But land owner (God) responded to one of them:

‘I am not being unfair to you, friend. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius? Take your pay and go. I want to give the one who was hired last the same as I gave you. Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?’

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

Lessons from Matthew 19: Biblical Poverty

June 19, 2017 By terrihamman Leave a Comment

Are you dying of starvation or living in poverty? You may have plenty of food and money but you may be suffering from biblical poverty. Join me as we study Matthew 16.

It is probably clear to you, as a Christian, that our world is saturated with biblical poverty.

People have bought into the culture of the world and its ways, which are diametrically opposed to God and His Word.

People are no longer seeking their great Creator. Instead, they are seeking a creator of their own making. And therefore people are dying spiritually, dying from biblical poverty. Living in darkness by scorning the light of God’s truth, they are buying into the lies of Satan by following their own selfish desires. They are fulfilling their own selfish ways which are opposed to God and His teachings.

Therefore, for those of us who truly believe in God through His Son Jesus Christ, we must know the truth of God and His Word. And then, we must act upon its truth in our own lives.

In doing so, we may have to lose it all in order to gain what really matters.

This is the way to eradicate biblical poverty and spread the gospel of good news. We do this by the studying and living out God’s truth for ourselves and then turning around and giving it out to others. And sometimes we must also preach the gospel to ourselves in order to line our thinking and our actions up with God’s.

That is exactly what Jesus was doing. He was teaching, not only the 12 disciples, but also others the truth of who He was and what He desired.

God promises rewards, suffering, and power for those who leave all for His sake.

Jesus promised that for those who would receive these truths, they would be rewarded (Matthew 19:23-20:17). But these things come at a cost–a cost to us and to others (Matthew 20:17-28). Yet He also promised power. Power to live the holy and consecrated life He called each believer to live in (Matthew 20:18-21:16).

Jesus’s teaching is clear: Salvation comes by faith in Christ alone. There is nothing anyone can to do earn it; it’s a free gift. He promises to reward with eternal life, and many other blessings, those who live out their faith. Yet along with these blessings or rewards comes the promise of a cost.

All who receive the gift of salvation through faith in Christ will bear His cross. The cross of His own choosing for your life. But the good news is that in that cross of suffering there will be great power and thus great joy in His goodness, grace, and mercy!

The Promise of Rewards

Matthew 19:23-20:16

We saw previously how Jesus had challenged the rich young ruler to examine his own heart and to see where his treasure really lay. The question was, what did he truly love more, Jesus or his possessions?

We learned that the rich young ruler loved his position, power, and possessions more than He loved God and the things of God. Therefore he turned away from Jesus and His offer of eternal life with great sadness. Even after seeing Jesus’s great love for him, he returned to his life and its temporal pleasures.

And then Jesus turned His focus on those in His presence, His disciples. He began to teach them about the accumulation of wealth and power and prestige.

Jesus taught that those who have great wealth are not likely to come into the kingdom of God! In fact, Jesus illustrated this fact by telling them that it would be easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.