Tag Archive | Jesus Christ

Matthew 3- Lip service or Heart service?

Mar4

Good afternoon y’all. Today we are looking at Matthew 3

Be blessed 🙂

In this chapter, we see John calling everyone to repentance and then he notices the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to watch.

I particularly like his statement to them in verse 7- 10 and that’s where I want to focus today’s blog.

“When John realized that a lot of Pharisees and Sadducees were showing up for a baptismal experience because it was becoming the popular thing to do, he exploded: “Brood of snakes! What do you think you’re doing slithering down here to the river? Do you think a little water on your snakeskins is going to make any difference? It’s your life that must change, not your skin! And don’t think you can pull rank by claiming Abraham as father. Being a descendant of Abraham is neither here nor there. Descendants of Abraham are a dime a dozen. What counts is your life. Is it green and blossoming? Because if it’s deadwood, it goes on the fire”.( Matthew 3:7 -10 MSG)

“But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming to watch him baptize, he denounced them. “You brood of snakes!” he exclaimed. “Who warned you to flee God’s coming wrath? Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God. Don’t just say to each other, ‘We’re safe, for we are descendants of Abraham.’ That means nothing, for I tell you, God can create children of Abraham from these very stones. Even now the ax of God’s judgment is poised, ready to sever the roots of the trees. Yes, every tree that does not produce good fruit will be chopped down and thrown into the fire”.(Matthew 3:7 -10 NLT)

From these verses, we can see that, its the way we live our lives that counts. Just mere lip service is not good enough. Our lives need to truly show that we have been transformed and changed by God. If truly we have repented and accepted Jesus as our Savior, there are certain behaviors that should no longer be associated with us. We can fool ourselves and others but we can’t fool God. God knows the intent of our hearts, He knows if we are genuine or fake in our walk with him.

My challenge to us today is for us to be honest with ourselves and look inward. Do our lives truly reflect Christ? Can people detect from our actions that we are God’s children?  Can they see Jesus in us? If our works are to be tested by fire, will it stand?

I will leave us with the words of Paul in Colossians 3: 1- 11 and 17.

“Since you became alive again, so to speak, when Christ arose from the dead, now set your sights on the rich treasures and joys of heaven where he sits beside God in the place of honor and power. Let heaven fill your thoughts; don’t spend your time worrying about things down here. You should have as little desire for this world as a dead person does. Your real life is in heaven with Christ and God. And when Christ who is our real life comes back again, you will shine with him and share in all his glories. Away then with sinful, earthly things; deaden the evil desires lurking within you; have nothing to do with sexual sin, impurity, lust, and shameful desires; don’t worship the good things of life, for that is idolatry. God’s terrible anger is upon those who do such things. You used to do them when your life was still part of this world; but now is the time to cast off and throw away all these rotten garments of anger, hatred, cursing, and dirty language. Don’t tell lies to each other; it was your old life with all its wickedness that did that sort of thing; now it is dead and gone. You are living a brand new kind of life that is continually learning more and more of what is right, and trying constantly to be more and more like Christ who created this new life within you. In this new life one’s nationality or race or education or social position is unimportant; such things mean nothing. Whether a person has Christ is what matters, and he is equally available to all”. (Colossians 3:1- 11 TLB)

“And whatever you do or say, let it be as a representative of the Lord Jesus, and come with him into the presence of God the Father to give him your thanks”.(Colossians 3:17TLB)

Thanks for joining today.

***With God all things are possible***

Matthew 2 – The Guiding Star

Mar3

Good afternoon y’all. Today we are looking at Matthew Chapter 2.

Be blessed 🙂

Verses 1 – 12
The star shone and alerted the wise men to the birth of Jesus. The same star guided them to the place where Jesus was. This reminds me of Exodus where God guided his people to the promised land as a cloud by day and pillar of fire by night.

We are never alone. God is always with us guiding us along the right path to go. The question is, are we ready to submit to Him and let Him guide us or are we contented with trying in our own strength? God is omniscient, omnipresent and omnipotent. He is the Beginning and the End. He knows everything. Why not allow a God who knows everything and has already seen tomorrow to guide you? He will never lead us astray: that’s His promise.

Psalm 32:8 says: “The Lord says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life.I will advise you and watch over you”. (NLT)

God warned the wise men not to return to Herod and they obeyed him. They could have been scared of disobeying the king but the wise men chose to obey God instead and not return to the king.  Who are we obeying – Man or God ?

Verses 13 – 23
God sent an angel to speak to Joseph in a dream. God was protecting them from Herod. God is always a step ahead of the enemy. He will protect his own. He won’t leave us to fall prey to the enemy. Joseph and Mary obeyed the angel and left for Egypt. They stayed till Herod died and when it was time to come back, God appeared in a dream and told them to return and where to go.

God is the best place for safety. Psalm 27: 1- 6 says:

”The Lord is my light and my salvation; he protects me from danger—whom shall I fear? When evil men come to destroy me, they will stumble and fall! Yes, though a mighty army marches against me, my heart shall know no fear! I am confident that God will save me. The one thing I want from God, the thing I seek most of all, is the privilege of meditating in his Temple, living in his presence every day of my life, delighting in his incomparable perfections and glory. There I’ll be when troubles come. He will hide me. He will set me on a high rock out of reach of all my enemies. Then I will bring him sacrifices and sing his praises with much joy”. (TLB)

I also noticed that a lot of fulfillment came to pass in this chapter. This just shows that God is a promise-keeping God. He never goes back on His word. His word can be trusted. Not one of His word will return to him void. His word will always accomplish that which it has been sent to do. It might tarry but it will surely come to pass. Be encouraged and hold on to what God has told you. The circumstances might not tally with it, but be rest assured that God who has said it is able to bring it to pass. He cannot deny Himself.

Jeremiah 1: 12  says: “Then the LORD said to me, “You have seen well, for I am watching over my word to perform it.” (ESV)

Isaiah 55: 11 says: “So shall My word be that goes forth out of My mouth: it shall not return to Me void [without producing any effect, useless], but it shall accomplish that which I please and purpose, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it”. (AMP)

Be encouraged today. God is able to guide and protect us. He watches over His word to make sure they are fulfilled in our lives.

Prayer:
Dear Lord we thank you for today. Thank you for your love towards us. Thank you for sending Jesus to come and save us. Today, we ask for the grace to trust You to guide and protect us. Even when trouble comes, help us to remain confident in you and know that all You have promised will surely come to pass. In Jesus’ Name we have prayed. Amen.

Thanks for joining today.

Have a blessed day basking in God’s grace and goodness 🙂

***With God all things are possible***