MARCH 13 THE JESUS QUESTIONS JQ#09-03 >>> Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus <<< JQ#09 “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” (Matthew 9:28)

LIVING FOR JESUS --- Daily Devotional

MARCH 13  THE JESUS QUESTIONS  JQ#09-03 >>> Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus <<< JQ#09 “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” (Matthew 9:28)

Daily Prayer to JESUS    

Jesus, a new day — thanks to You — and a new opportunity to live as You intended — full of Mercy and Grace. Lord Jesus, each day as I think about Your Sacrifice for my sake I am overwhelmed that God “so loved the world” that He would do such great a thing as Sacrifice His Only Begotten Son as “The Atonement” for the sins of a world that thinks so much “evil” in our hearts! Lord forgive me daily of my transgressions and let me walk in newness of life in the Power and Strength of Jesus Christ.    AMEN

THE JESUS QUESTIONS

MARCH 13  THE JESUS QUESTIONS  JQ#09-03 >>> Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus <<< JQ#09 “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” (Matthew 9:28) Jesus, through the Holy Spirit, pointed out in my reading today the “Summary” of JQ#1-8. “You are the salt…and…light of the world…” (Matthew 5:13-14) gives us a realization of what our purpose is if we listen to Jesus. Jesus next calls His listeners to “…be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect…” (Matthew 5:46) and Jesus tells us that we will attain this “perfection” only by loving the world, the whole world: “But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you.” (Matthew 5:44) Jesus immediately says that the reward for living our lives as He commands is great: [that] “you may be sons [and daughters] of your Father in heaven…” (Matthew 5:45) Jesus is both instructing us how we should “Choose” to live our lives [“love your enemies”] and declaring the “Consequence of our Choice” [we become “heirs” to our “Father’s {kingdom} in heaven”] and as an introduction to the “Law of Choice and Consequences” : God’s Law in which He reserves the Supreme Authority to declare the “outcome” of the “actions” we “Choose” to make with our Freewill. Jesus teaches us that we can “choose” our action with our Free Will Gift from God but the “results” of each “action” “choose with God’s Free Will Gift”, we must “accept God’s predetermined “Consequence for our action” — for God has established the “Laws” by which all of creation must abide by! Jesus follows the command to “Love” with instructions how to “pray” [see Matthew 6:9-13]. In succession Jesus has taught that to be the “light of the world” (which was God’s original solution to darkness [see Genesis 1-5 key verse: Genesis 1:3]) that we will need to be “perfect” like the Father and “love” like the Father and to be successful in being like God we must “pray” to “Our Father in heaven” (Matthew 6:9). Jesus continues His “Questions/Lessons” with instructions “not to worry” (Matthew 6:25) and throws into the Lesson that the focal point of our success will be when we “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness…” (Matthew 6:33). Jesus adds a companion to “do not worry” with “do not judge” (Matthew 7:1). It is interesting to note that Jesus says the “Consequence” of our “Choice” to “Worry” is completely futile and will gain us nothing because we have no “power” to change anything we worry about because God has it already figured out (Matthew 6:32) but the “Consequence” of our “judging” will be measured out to us as we measure out judgement to others! (Matthew 7:2) Jesus continues with assuring us that our Good Father will treat us as sons and daughters and to trust that our “Father who is in heaven [will] give good things to those who ask Him!” (Matthew 7:11). Jesus adds that we will be known not by our words but by our actions: “Therefore by their fruits you will know them.” (Matthew 7:20) The key to bearing good fruit is to plant ourselves in God and to build our “foundation of Faith in God” on the “solid rock” (Matthew 7:23), for the Son was sent to reveal the Father to us. Jesus demonstrates His Power given to Him by the Father by not only healing the “physical” problems such as the woman with a flow of blood which Jesus made well as she touched the hem of His garment and Jesus said, “Be of good cheer, daughter, your faith has made you well.” (Matthew 9:20-22) and raised a young girl from the dead as Jesus responded to a request from her father “But when the crowd was put outside, [Jesus] went in and took her by the hand, and the [dead] girl arose.” (Matthew 9:25) Jesus also healed “spiritual” problems and Jesus showed He has power over creation when He calmed the “winds and the waves” (Matthew 8:26) and encourages us to “believe that [Jesus] is able to do [these things]” (Matthew 9:28). Jesus concludes the introduction (JQ#1-8) by telling us that He is recruiting “laborers” to send “into the Father’s harvest.” (Matthew 9:38). Are you ready to learn “how” to labor in the “Father’s Harvest”?