Mustard Seed: December 2, 2016

TODAY’S WORD FOR FRIDAY DECEMBER 2, 2016.

MUSTARD SEED

DEFINITION:

A plant whose seed makes into a powder or paste.

SCRIPTURE:

Another parable He put forth to them saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field, which indeed is the least of all the seeds; but when it is grown it is greater than the herbs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches.” Mathew 13:31-32.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

Today we study the parable of the mustard seed that Jesus taught as recorded in Matthew 13. Jesus used parables to teach His truths, as they say, “a picture is worth a thousand words,” so also are the parables that are the word pictures Jesus used to teach His truths.

The sower in this parable is Jesus and the mustard seed that Jesus referred to in this parable is the church in its very beginning that began with just Jesus and His disciples.

Jesus is teaching His disciples that His church will be like a mustard seed. It is a small seed but it grows into a tree spreading out its roots and branches. On the day of Pentecost, after Jesus ascended into heaven, the small kingdom began its phenomenal expansion. Like the mustard seed it continued to grow, branching out into other nations of the world.

God planted the seed, the Church, into His field which is the world. The birds may represent those who come to the tree, hear the gospel, receive it and take refuge in its branches.

Again, the mustard seed that Jesus refers to in this parable is the Church. Look at what happened in the development of the Church. Remember the Church referred to here is the body of believers that believe in Jesus, not a building. Christ launched the movement all by Himself. It began in the soul of one man, Jesus, a carpenter from the obscure village called Nazareth.

The message and work of the kingdom was carried forth by men without position and prestige. They were not mighty, noble, rich or famous. They were common folk. They began with very little faith but continued to grow under their teacher, the very Son of God. The body of believers numbered only about 120 people when Christ departed from this earth.

The bush, all believers who believe in Jesus throughout the world, has grown from small beginnings into a great tree with spreading branches. Not only did God grow His Kingdom through the early believers but God continues to grow His Kingdom through His faithful followers each and every day.

This parable is an encouragement to every believer that what we plant He will grow. It encourages us in our personal lives and ministries. It encourages us to look forward to our hope in eternity where we will be rewarded for our faithful labor. It should encourage us to reach out to the world around us and proclaim the good news of the gospel.

Jesus through this parable teaches us that just as the birds come to the mustard tree to nest in the safety of the branches, we are to come to Him to find safety in His outstretched arms reaching out to us to bring us into His Kingdom. We are to come to Him first and then live and walk with Him. Where do you stand? Are you a believer or a non-believer? He is waiting for you to come and become a child of God and a joint heir with Jesus in the Kingdom of God.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Proverbs 29:1.

He who is often rebuked, and hardens his neck, will suddenly be destroyed and that without remedy.

PRAYER:

Thank You for this parable of the mustard seed. How grateful we are that You established Your church, a body of believers that can reach out to the world and share the good news of the gospel that You gave to us.

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Parables: December 1, 2016

TODAY’S WORD FOR THURSDAY DECEMBER 1, 2016.

PARABLES

DEFINITION:

An earthly story with a heavenly meaning; a story with earthly analogies to illustrate a spiritual truth or a moral truth; a story that compares something unfamiliar with something familiar.

SCRIPTURE:

Jesus spoke all these things to the crowd in parables; He did not say anything to them without using a parable. So, it was fulfilled what was spoken through the prophet: “I will open My mouth in parables, I will utter things hidden since the creation of the world.” Matthew 13:34-35.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

For the last few days we have shared with you some thoughts on the beatitudes. As we begin a new month today we will spend several days sharing with you our thoughts from the scriptures concerning some parables that Jesus taught and are recorded in Matthew.

You may ask the question, “Why did Jesus teach in parables?” Jesus wanted to teach the disciples and His audience the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven. By mystery Jesus does not mean something mysterious, but rather something unknown and not revealed until that present time.

While Jesus was teaching, the truth of His teachings was not understood. Even His disciples who were with Jesus day after day for close to three years could not understand some of His teachings. It was impossible for them to understand all the mysteries of Jesus teachings because they were not yet revealed.

Because Jesus knew that they were not understanding he said to His disciples, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterword you will understand.” John 13:7. By afterword Jesus meant after His death, resurrection and return to heaven. Jesus taught them about His coming crucifixion and resurrection, three days later, but they could not believe that it would happen.

Jesus said He had come to seek and sacrificially purchase the world. He taught that His followers are to laboriously work, seeking to lead men out of the world and into His kingdom. This is the message that Jesus wants us to learn today from these parables.

Jesus was trying to have his disciples understand that He was the most unique person who ever lived because He was the Son of God who had come from the Kingdom of God.

H.G. Wells wrote, “Christ is the most unique person of history. No man can write a history of the human race without giving first and foremost place to the penniless teacher from Nazareth.”

Rabbi Steven Wise said that Jesus, the Jew, has influenced the world more than any other man. This person called Jesus lived on the earth for only 33 years. He never traveled more than 100 miles from His home.

Charles Lamb was right in saying that if all the great men of history gathered together at one location and Shakespeare should enter, they would rise to do him honor; but if Jesus Christ should come in, they would fall down and worship Him.

This man Jesus spoke and taught His disciples what God sent Him to communicate to the world that the Kingdom of heaven is more valuable than anything in this world and that it could only be attained through Him. “No man comes to the Father except through Me.”

Parables vividly communicated from the known (earthly) to the unknown or unseen (spiritual). When Jesus disciples asked Him why He spoke in parables, Jesus answered, “This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.” Matthew 13:13.Those whose ears had been opened by God would understand His parables and be blessed, while the unbelievers and uninterested would hear but not comprehend.

Today these parables still help our understanding of what is going on in the world, what God is accomplishing and how He is continually working in our world. We also through these parables see what God will do when Christ returns to set up His earthly kingdom.

Each parable that we will look at these next few days are considered to have a rare quality of opening the mind to a new understanding of the spiritual truth that has the power to change our hearts.

Thus these parables will help us understand how Christ wants us to administer His church and be a light to the world during this present age, and how He will judge all upon His return.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Proverbs 29:1.

He who is often rebuked, and hardens his neck, will suddenly be destroyed and that without remedy.

PRAYER:

Help me to understand by studying the parables what You taught while here on this earth. Show me the mysteries of the Kingdom of God so I can help others see that the Kingdom of God is the most important thing they can have.

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Peacemaker: November 30, 2016

TODAY’S WORD FOR WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 30, 2016.

PEACEMAKER

DEFINITION:

One who promotes harmony in human relations; conciliator.

SCRIPTURE:

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Matthew 5:9.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

Jesus came into this world to bring peace. At the birth of Jesus, the angels sang, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will to men.” God is the God of peace but the peace that God gives is only understood and experienced by those who know God and have accepted His Son, Jesus, as their Savior.

The world longs for an end to war and conflict. In order to have world peace there must be a change in the sinful hearts of all mankind.

To become a peacemaker, as Jesus taught at the Sermon on the Mount, we must first make our peace with God. To make peace with God we must be justified by God’s grace through the redemption that is found in Christ Jesus. For God to declare us just, we must believe that Christ died on the cross to bear our sins, that He was buried in the tomb for three days and nights, and that He rose again on the third day according to the scriptures.

We must repent of our sins and accept the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior. A peacemaker is one that shares the gospel message of salvation through Jesus Christ to those who are lost, showing them how they can have peace with God.

Those who remain separated from God by their sin can never have peace with God. Who is the peacemaker? A peacemaker not only seeks to help the lost make peace with God, but seeks to make peace with others, seeking to solve disputes and erase divisions, reconcile differences and eliminate strife in relationships.

Jesus tells His disciples, and us, in this beatitude that we will be blessed when we show people how to cooperate instead of competing or fighting. Nothing is more divisive than arguing. Wars begin with arguments.

As believers we are to become peacemakers, not troublemakers, because we are here to show God’s love to the world.

Jesus closed this beatitude by saying that the peace makers shall be called the children of God. As believers in Jesus and as peacemakers we are adopted into the family of God when we accepted Jesus as our Savior and are now called a child of God. What a miracle and what a blessing. We do serve an awesome God who loves us so much that He gave His only Son to give us the peace of God that transcends all understanding Philippians 4:7.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Proverbs 29:1.

He who is often rebuked, and hardens his neck, will suddenly be destroyed and that without remedy.

PRAYER:

Help me to become the peacemaker that You want me to be. Help me to communicate the good news of the gospel to all I meet today and may I be in a position to lead people to a saving knowledge of You, my Lord and my Savior by being a peacemaker.

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Pure: November 29, 2016

TODAY’S WORD FOR TUESDAY NOVEMBER 29, 2016.

PURE

DEFINITION:

Genuine; sincere; clean; free from contamination; perfect; spotless; guiltless; chaste.

SCRIPTURE:

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Matthew 5:8.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

Pure in the Greek means to have a clean heart, to be unsoiled, unmixed, unpolluted, to be cleansed, purged, and forgiven, to be holy, and to have a single purpose, that of God’s glory. This is what Jesus was saying as He taught this beatitude on the Sermon on the Mount.

To be pure in heart means to be pleasing to God in the way we live, in the way we think, in the way we act, in the way we speak, and in the decisions, we make.

It means to live a clean life, unspotted from the evils of the world. It means to obey the truth found in the Word of God and to follow the working of the Holy Spirit in his or her life. It means to seek to be at all times without spot and blameless.

Jesus tells us in this beatitude that we will be blessed when we get our inside world, meaning our mind and heart, cleansed and purged of the pollution of sin. Then we will see God in our outside world do His will in our life.

A person’s very best behavior is seldom, if ever, free from some mixture of self. Because of our sinful nature it is questionable if we can be perfectly free from mixed motives. The believer is to constantly search his heart and cleanse it of impure motives.

There are two wonderful promises made to the pure in heart. First, on this earth they shall see God by faith, and secondly, eternally the pure in heart shall see God face to face.

The unsaved man cannot have a pure heart as long as he rejects the Lord Jesus as his Savior. The natural (unregenerate) heart is deceitful above all things, desperately wicked and the things of God are foolishness to him. (Jeremiah 17:9)

Who are the pure in heart according to the scripture?

•    In Psalm 24:3-5 we read that they have clean hands and are void of hypocrisy.

•    In Matthew 6:25 it reads that they will serve only one master.

•    In Psalm 42:1 it says they thirst for God as a deer thirsts for the water brook.

•    In II Corinthians 5:17 we read that they have a newly created heart.

•    The pure in heart forsake and confess all known sin. Proverbs 28:13.

•    They recognize that because of their salvation their sins are forgiven but this does not give them license to sin. When they sin, they repent and seek forgiveness.    I John 1:9.

•    In I Corinthians 2:15-16 we read that they are spiritually minded and discern what God’s truth is because they have the mind of Christ. They reject those things that are not from the Spirit of God.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Proverbs 29:1.

He who is often rebuked, and hardens his neck, will suddenly be destroyed and that without remedy.

PRAYER:

My prayer is that You will create in me a clean heart and help me to be pure in heart so that I may discern Your truth and have the mind of Christ. Although for now I can see You as through a glass darkly, I thank You that in eternity I will see You face to face in all Your glory. (I Corinthians 13:12).

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Merciful: November 28, 2016

TODAY’S WORD FOR MONDAY NOVEMBER 28, 2016.

MERCIFUL

DEFINITION:

Compassionate; lenient; forgiving.

SCRIPTURE:

Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. Matthew 5:7.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

This beatitude does not mean if you show mercy to someone that they in turn will show mercy to you. This is not the purpose of this beatitude. Some people may show mercy in return for mercy you give to them but not many. In some cases, people have been persecuted in return for showing mercy. The bottom line is that we can have no assurance we will receive mercy from those who do not know our merciful Savior, but what we can be assured of is God’s mercy.

Jesus showed mercy throughout His earthly ministry. He healed the sick, cleansed the lepers, made the dumb speak and the deaf to hear. He made the blind able to see and the lame able to walk. He raised the dead and fed the multitudes. He never failed to show mercy but did He receive mercy in return?  No, the Roman army, the religious leaders, and many of their followers joined efforts to put Him to death on the cross. They showed religious hatred for God’s Son, not mercy.

We are to show mercy to others when they need mercy. We need to show mercy even when we know that the recipient may never show mercy in return. We are to show mercy in the name of our merciful Christ, who Himself will reward us not only in this life but in heaven.

Those who never show compassion or mercy have never acknowledged how great the mercy is that God has shown for them. Those who have not responded to God’s great gift of mercy will not receive mercy on judgment day. The acts of loving kindness that is done for others gives evidence of having received God’s mercy. Those who have received mercy must consider what it means to be merciful.

During World War 11 a church in Strasburg, Germany, was totally destroyed. But a statue of Christ standing by the altar was almost unharmed. Only the hands were missing. When the church was rebuilt a sculptor offered to replace and reconstruct the hands but the congregation decided to leave the statue as is.

It was felt by the congregation that seeing no hands on Christ it would remind them that here in this world we are the hands of Christ showing mercy to those who were in need. They felt that if they did not feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, entertain the stranger, visit the prisoner, and clothed the naked, who will?

Merciful means to have a forgiving spirit and a compassionate heart. It is a deliberate effort, an act of the will, to understand a person and to meet his or her need by forgiving and showing mercy.

The person who is merciful has a tender heart, a heart that cares for all who have need, both seen or unseen. The merciful do not hold back any kind of help, no matter the cost because they have the love of God dwelling in them. The person that is merciful also knows that it is more blessed to give than to receive.

You will be blessed by God when you care for others in their time of need. God expects us to care for others and at the moment that we do care for someone else you will find yourself being cared for by our Lord.

Jesus gave us an excellent illustration of mercy in the parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10: 30-36. A lawyer asked Jesus, “Who is my neighbor?” To answer the lawyer’s question Jesus told of a man travelling from Jerusalem to Jericho who was robbed, wounded, and left half dead by thieves. A priest came by and saw the man but did not stop to help. He showed no mercy.

A Levite also came along, stopped to look, but continued on his journey. He showed no mercy. Not only did the priest and the Levite show no mercy, they walked by on the far side of the road to avoid the man.

But a Samaritan saw him, had compassion on him, and helped him without expecting anything in return. Jesus asked the lawyer, “So which of these three do you think was the neighbor to him who fell among thieves?” When the lawyer answered, “He who showed mercy on him” Jesus said to the lawyer, “Go and do likewise.”

When we consider how great is God’s mercy He has shown for us, how can we not be merciful to others? Grace is when God GIVES us what we do not DESERVE. Mercy is when God does not give us what we do DESERVE. “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” Romans 6:23. We deserve death but He gives us eternal life.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Proverbs 29:1.

He who is often rebuked, and hardens his neck, will suddenly be destroyed and that without remedy.

PRAYER:

Give me a merciful heart with compassion for those who are in need that I pass by today. Help my family to be a merciful family that cares for one another and the world that we live in.

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