MARCH 14 THE JESUS QUESTIONS JQ#10 “Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin?” (Matthew 10:29)

MARCH 14  THE JESUS QUESTIONS  JQ#10 “Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin?” (Matthew 10:29)

LIVING FOR JESUS  Daily Prayer    

JESUS, thank You Lord for this life You have given me, for the tribulation and the strength to endure while in the valley, for the darkness that Your Light has dispelled so that I can see to walk Your Path to the Narrow Gate. Lord I give You Praise for the answered prayer of “family” that has been my greatest blessing and Lord I can clearly see Your Hand in my life and Lord I can truly say, I would change nothing! If I had not known I was lost, I could not have experienced the “joy of my salvation” and if it had not been for heavy burdens I would not know the “peace that passes all understanding” because of Your Grace, and Lord, had I not known “despair” I would not appreciate the “Hope” that comes from “Trusting God” and declaring to Him “Abba Father”! Lord, because of my trials and Your Faithfulness to carry me when I can’t carry myself, I surrender all to Your Glory for I see my righteousness as nothing but “filthy rags” and Lord, I beg for the crumbs of Your Infinite Mercy. Jesus, thank You for this new journey You are leading me on - I do not know the twists and turns it will take but I “Trust” in Your Leading and the “Final Destination”. I have Supreme Confidence that You will finish the Good Work You have started and one day I will hear Your Still Small Voice in the depth of my soul saying, “Son, it is finished, well done — come on Home, I’m waiting for you at the Narrow Gate!”    AMEN

THE JESUS QUESTIONS

JESUS has given us the “Introduction to Discipleship” with JQ#1-9 and now Jesus is going to start us on a series of “Spiritual Introspections” as He Teaches us how to “evaluate our Spiritual Worth”. The context for JQ#10 is actually JQ#1-9 and the entire chapter 10 of the Gospel that Matthew was written declaring Jesus the “King of kings” and giving us glimpses of the “kingdom of [our Father] in heaven” and more importantly we are building our “Faith in God” on the firm foundation of the “Rock-Solid Truth of God”.  Jesus has now personally called each of His disciples and they have been observing Jesus as He Teaches them through His Perfect Example what their “Kingdom work” will be like. Jesus lists the necessary pre-requisites for discipleship in the Lessons Taught in JQ#1-8 and summarized in JQ#09 and now He starts His “commissioning” of the “twelve disciples” in Chapter 10 as we read, “And when He had called His twelve disciples to Him, He gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease.” (Matthew 10:1)  It is important that we walk both “daily with Jesus” and “step-by-step with Him”. These “Question/Lessons” point to Jesus being the Messiah as we read in Isaiah 28:13 “But the word of the Lord was to them …precept upon precept, line upon line, here a little, there a little …” and confirmed by John 1:1 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” God demonstrated the Significance and Power of His Word as He dispelled the darkness, the emptiness, and the lack of purpose of the world when God spoke these words in Genesis 1:3 “Let there be light”. We read that as soon as God Spoke the words that there “was light”. All the Power of God is in His Word.  The Power over all creation and all that is in it is The Word of God and all creation is subject to The Word. If we who have been created want to navigate the stormy seas of life we must learn to listen to the Word and not run ahead of Him because if we are to be “perfect” we can only learn from a “perfect” God — Psalm 18:10 “As for God, His way is perfect…”  so to “learn from the Master” we must listen and learn each Lesson so as we embark on JQ#10 you are strongly encouraged to build your foundation on the “precept upon precept upon the Rock”, and read again Matthew Chapters 5-9 as an “Intro” and Matthew 10 as a “Spiritual Job Description of Discipleship” — if we are to “labor” in His harvest, we should know our tools and learn from the “Lord of the Harvest” before we enter into His Fields that are “white unto harvest” (John 4:35) “ARISE” and let us “GO”.

MARCH 13 THE JESUS QUESTIONS JQ#09 “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” (Matthew 9:28)

MARCH 13  THE JESUS QUESTIONS  JQ#09 “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” (Matthew 9:28)

LIVING FOR JESUS  Daily Prayer    

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 a great  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

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 THE HOLY SPIRT reminds us that these scriptures are the 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” that we “choose with God’s Free Will Gift”, we must “accept God’s predetermined “Consequence for the action” that we have just “Chosen” to do ——— 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 for us 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 that 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 by 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 soon 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 this “Divine Power was further demonstrated when a young girl was raised 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 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”?

MARCH 12 THE JESUS QUESTIONS JQ#09 “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” (Matthew 9:28)

MARCH 12  THE JESUS QUESTIONS  JQ#09 “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” (Matthew 9:28)

LIVING FOR JESUS  Daily Prayer   

JESUS, You Lord are to be Greatly Praised, You alone are Worthy of this Great Praise from all mankind for You gave Your Perfect Life so that an imperfect world could be justified before the Father who is Faithful and Just, full of Mercy and Grace. Lord Jesus, there is no explaining why God would become flesh and offer Himself as an acceptable atonement of the world’s transgressions against that same Holy Merciful God?!?!? Lord Jesus, no explanation is needed, let us instead of questioning “Why” or “How” it is possible that God would Sacrifice Himself, I pray that we will Trust God and step out in “Faith” and accept the “Gift” of Grace and praise You for Your Mercy! Forgive me this day of my iniquities and guide me in Your Path of Righteousness.    AMEN

THE JESUS QUESTIONS

JESUS has asked 8 previous Questions that point us to discipleship and at the close of JQ#08 Jesus asked a “Summary Question” when He stated to the Pharisees that had questioned Him “Why?” (as they saw that Jesus was “eating with tax collectors and sinners”) would Jesus associate with “sinners” which the Pharisees saw as going against their “religious traditions” — but Jesus explained His motive to them when He stated: “I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance” (Matthew 9:11-13) Jesus was then approached by some of “the disciples of John” who asked Jesus, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but Your disciples do not fast?” (Matthew 9:14) Jesus answered that question about the “traditions” that were practiced by the Jews of that time with a Teaching Question of His own when He asked the disciples of John and the Pharisees that were listening, “And Jesus said to them, ‘Can the friends of the bridegroom mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them?’” (Matthew 9:15) In order to fully understand what Jesus is Teaching with this summary Question we must keep in mind that Jesus had just been questioned by the Pharisees as to His conduct with “sinners” and then the Pharisees and the disciples of John the Baptist questioned Jesus on the Jewish “tradition” of “fasting” — and it was in this context of the “traditionalist” and “legalist” questioning of Jesus as to His conduct with “tax collectors and sinners” that Jesus introduces a new concept with His rebuttal Question (which at first glance looks like He is avoiding the question on “traditionalism and legalism” by changing the subject but in reality His rebuttal Question is a new “Revelation” of God’s Master Plan). However, as Jesus asks this seemingly off the wall Question about “friends of the bridegroom”, if you take into consideration the context of the Questions Jesus has asked so far and what miraculous things He has been doing in the Name of “our Father in heaven”, the Question Jesus poses about “friends of the bridegroom” is both right on time for His earthly mission and is a foreshadowing of future events in God’s Master Plan of Salvation. The JESUS Questions that have been asked so far and the context surrounding each question JQ#1-8 (Matthew 5:1 through Matthew 9:13) has introduced us to the “Divine Work of Jesus” and to being a “Follower of Jesus” — In His Divine Teachings Jesus has established that the “Truth of God” should be “lived” in our lives, that we are to first “learn” the “Truth of God” then we are to “Live the Truth of God” and then share the “Light of God’s Truth” with others. These Lessons are single in nature and built around simple Questions designed to cause us to see the simple Truth of God which in turn should cause us to simply live a Godly and righteous life as we apply the Lessons Jesus Teaches us about our day-to-day world. The method Jesus has been using is to ask a Question that can easily be answered by observation and common sense and the expectation is that we will acknowledge the obvious “Truth of God” contained within our answers. Jesus asks a series of Questions that appear individual in nature but are building “precept upon precept” the “Truth of God” so that with each Lesson we gain another glimpse of the “Almighty”. In this study so far, all the JESUS Questions and their context have been in a “logical sequence” and have established “Godly Principals” such as the “Law of Choice and Consequence” and the “Fundamentals of Faith” and then in Matthew 9:15 Jesus introduces a new concept which caught me off guard and caused me to study His Word a little deeper, which could well be the Lesson — “There is always more to learn in God’s Word!” JQ#08b is “Can the friends of the bridegroom mourn as long as the bridegroom  is with them?” (Matthew 9:15) which introduces us to the concept of Jesus being a “bridegroom” suggesting an upcoming “marriage” and Jesus calls those following Him “friends of the bridegroom” which suggests an intimate relationship with the bridegroom and certainly all the “friends of the bridegroom” will be expected to attend the wedding ceremony. Jesus also introduces the fact that “the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away” which foreshadows His leaving sometime in the future. Jesus immediately moves to two examples that illustrate that His intent is not in “repairing” our sin nature/sickness but He has come to completely make us “new” as He uses the illustration of “unshrunk cloth on an old garment” and putting “new wine into new wineskins” (Matthew 9:16-17). This “new” concept combined with the two miracles of healing in Matthew 9:18-29 and the healing of two blind men and a demonic strategically points to a “summary” of JQ#1-8 as the “Introduction to Discipleship” and the responsibilities of being a follower of Jesus and building the “foundation of Faith in God” on the “solid rock” — JQ#09 is then asked by Jesus as the “final exam” of “Introductory Discipleship” as Jesus asks “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” (Matthew 9:28)  Jesus points us to the “correct answer” with His Summary Question JQ#08b where he introduces the concept of His disciples being “friends of the bridegroom” as the key to understanding Lessons JQ#1-8.  We have so far read of the miraculous Work Jesus has done in the Name of God whom Jesus has proclaimed as “our Father in heaven” so we too must answer this “Final Exam Question on Introductory Discipleship” about what we have learned about Jesus so far:  JQ#09  “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” (Matthew 9:28) and immediately Jesus assures and encourages us with this great “Truth of God” — “According to your faith let it be to you.” (Matthew 9:29)

MARCH 11 THE JESUS QUESTIONS JQ09 “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” (Matthew 9:28)

MARCH 11  THE JESUS QUESTIONS  JQ09   “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” (Matthew 9:28)

LIVING FOR JESUS  Daily Prayer    

JESUS, Praise be to Your Spirit that calls us to identify ourselves with You and to Your Crucifixion. The Crucifixion is the Ultimate Solution to our sin problem and only by being Crucified with You can we truly identify with Your Resurrection which is the Victory over the world! Lord You gave me a glimpse of this Great Truth in 2004 and it was then that first I prayed for total surrender to Your Guidance as I try to die to self daily and be a part of Your Crucifixion and Resurrection each day ——— I continue to this day to pray that prayer. Lord Jesus, You have made my heart tender with Your Love and I pray that You will continue to heal my “spiritual blindness” until the day arrives that I behold Your Face!    AMEN

THE JESUS QUESTIONS

JESUS has introduced us to discipleship using His Questions JQ#1-8 and with JQ#09 Jesus summarizes this “Introduction to Discipleship” when He gets serious and asks us bluntly, JQ#09 “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” (Matthew 9:28) The Holy Spirit has now released me to move to JQ#09 but the context for this “Summary of JQ#1-8” will include the text from Matthew 9:14 through the end of the chapter at Matthew 9:38. This study on “The JESUS Questions” has been Teaching me some additional Lessons on “following the Spirit” which I did not anticipate but one thing the Holy Spirit has Taught me in my previous study of His Word is that if we can anticipate what is going to happen and we can explain it then it is not from God because “His ways are higher than our ways and His thoughts are higher than our thoughts” (Isaiah 55) and “His understanding we cannot fathom” (Isaiah 40). The more we learn of God the more we learn that our knowledge is finite and limited but God’s Knowledge is Infinite and is not limited in any way! In my personal experience God has always answered my prayers in such a way that there is no mistaking the Hand of God at work as He has personally put His Divine Signature on His Work in my life, so now when I discern that He is trying to Teach me something deeper than I have learned before, I wait on Him to reveal to me in His Perfect Timing by some Divine Circumstance what He wants me to see. That happened this morning as I was reading my Prayer to Jesus written 2004 in my Oswald Chambers journal “My Utmost for His Highest”. I had tucked my “Utmost” journal away for several years but in was my privilege to mentor a new believer in 2014 named Dominic. The Holy Spirit told me to give my 2004 copy of “Utmost” to Dominic and let him read what I had written 10 years earlier as I had written a prayer to Jesus every day in 2004 and how relevant the 2004 Teaching of the Holy Spirit was in 2014, a full 10 years later! The Lesson there for all of us is to acknowledge that Jesus is both the “author” and the “finisher” of our faith and that we are to “daily take up our cross” and “follow Jesus” and April 10, 2004 was the beginning of my journey to the “Narrow Gate” as I read “…our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.” (Romans 6:6). In God’s perfect timing it is now many years later and as I am writing and seeking how to summarize JQ#1-8 into what Lesson Jesus is Teaching I am directed to the words of Jesus at the end of JQ#08: “But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’ For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.” (Matthew 9:13) Jesus came to seek and to save the lost and to Teach His followers that if we are to be like Him we are to extend “mercy” to others and in doing that we will be sacrificing ourselves as He did, therefore as “friends of the bridegroom” (Matthew 9:15) and as “friends of Christ the bridegroom” we should identify with the Crucifixion, the Resurrection, and the upcoming “marriage feast” for the bridegroom is the “Lord of the harvest” and we should “therefore pray that the Lord of the harvest [will] send laborers into His harvest.” (Matthew 9:38)  In JQ#1-9 Jesus is Teaching His followers to be “harvesters”, so let us “Arise and enter the Harvest”!

MARCH 10 THE JESUS QUESTIONS JQ#08 “Why do you think evil in your hearts?” (Matthew 9:4)

MARCH 10  THE JESUS QUESTIONS  JQ#08 “Why do you think evil in your hearts?” (Matthew 9:4)

LIVING FOR JESUS  Daily Prayer    

JESUS, no other name is like the Name of Jesus, there is no name under heaven or on the earth that man can call on for Salvation but Jesus, there is none but You, Lord Jesus that loves us even though we are continually sinning against Your Holiness. Yet instead of Your arms folded in rejection when we repent and return, You Lord Jesus, just like the Father welcoming the prodigal son, You run to greet us with open arms, You receive us unto Yourself as Your own. Lord Jesus, eternity will not be enough time to praise Your Holy Name!    AMEN

THE JESUS QUESTIONS

JESUS not only Teaches “individual” and “personal” Lessons as He reveals the Truth of God with each Question, Jesus also Teaches us a “universal” Lesson with the “order” with which Jesus weaves the Truth of God contained within each Lesson/Question. This “universal” Lesson comes from not only “what” Jesus Taught but the “order” in which Jesus Teaches them. Yesterday the Holy Spirit turned my thoughts to looking at this “universal” Lesson already Taught by The JESUS Questions JQ#1-8 before moving on to JQ#09 and as I started to move on to JQ#09 today the Spirit has made it clear that He wants me to present the outline that has been formed by JQ#1 - JQ#8 in Matthew Chapters 1-9 before moving to the next JESUS Question. The Holy Spirit directed me to initiate “The JESUS Questions” daily project and directs my writing of these morning devotionals and He also guides me to keep notes in a separate folder which now has developed into an “Introduction Outline to Discipleship” which sets forth the mindset for being a “Follower of Christ” that builds upon itself step by step the “Spiritual” importance of placing our “Faith” in the only “One” who is “Worthy” of our “Faith”. Jesus begins proving He is “Worthy” and is called for the Purpose of doing the work of God. Matthew Chapter 5 records Jesus giving us His “Sermon on the Mount” in which Jesus listed in the “Beatitudes” (1) that to inherit the kingdom of heaven we must  enter through the “Spirit” and (2) that if we care for and comfort others that we ourselves will be cared for and comforted, (3) that strength to inherit the earth will come from our weakness, (4) to be filled with righteousness we should hunger for it, (5) to be merciful in order to gain mercy, (6) our ability to see God will come through our purity, (7) and if we strive to make peace we will be called sons of God!  Jesus concludes the “Beatitudes” with “not to worry” about the persecution on earth of our “Faith in God” because our righteousness will be rewarded in heaven. Jesus concludes with JQ#01 that those that “Follow Jesus” will be “salt and light” to the world.  JQ#02 Teaches us that Jesus did not come to destroy the Law of God but to fulfill the Law and then Jesus proceeds to instruct us how to “love others”, (both our enemies and our friends) as Jesus proclaims that “LOVE” is the Greatest Law. Jesus builds on these Lessons with a new command on how to be “salt and light” and how to “love others” which is an “imperative concept” to a Follower of Christ when we as a Followers of Christ encounter opposition to our “Faith in God”.  When Jesus Teaches in JQ#03 “Not to worry” and then builds on the concept of “Do not worry” by Teaching us that to be successful in “not worrying” that we must practice what He Teaches in JQ#04 “Do not Judge”. Jesus then Teaches where to obtain the “Power of His Truth” as He tells us in JQ#05 that we are to “Ask-Seek-Knock” and we will “Find”. Jesus then calls us to “live” the principles He is Teaching and says that we will know if we are living by His Principles if we start “bearing the fruit of the spirit” as Taught in JQ#06. Jesus then makes it evident in JQ#07 that by going through these steps that we will be growing the basic elements of discipleship and that we must continually work to “build our faith”. We build our Faith in God by focusing on Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son who came to earth to reveal “our Father in heaven”! Jesus then starts instructing us in JQ#07 that there comes a point in our “faith” that we must “exercise” our “FAITH” by putting  “Action” to our “Belief” and at that point in our “Faith”, we as a Follower of Christ will “Arise & Walk” as Jesus details in JQ#8. Jesus concludes the “Introduction Outline to Discipleship” with this “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’ For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.” (Matthew 9:12-13) This command from Jesus to “go and learn” points us to what will be required of each individual once we commit to being “Followers of Christ” and for starters Jesus said to “learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice’” —I see that I have have some studying to do because I know I am a sinner and that He has called me to “repentance” and has also commanded  “Follow Me”!

MARCH 09 THE JESUS QUESTIONS JQ#08 “Why do you think evil in your hearts?” (Matthew 9:4)

MARCH 09  THE JESUS QUESTIONS  JQ#08 “Why do you think evil in your hearts?” (Matthew 9:4)

LIVING FOR JESUS  Daily Prayer    

JESUS, Lord, IN YOU  there is a peace that the world just cannot offer, there is nothing in the world, not fortune nor fame, that can provide the Peace that comes from knowing You, for Your PEACE is PRICELESS. Lord Jesus, I praise You for knowing my heart and my thoughts for You — Your Lovingkindness knows just how to speak those well placed and perfectly timed Words of Grace just when we need them most and this morning as I awoke with a cloud on my spirit You spoke to me through the inspired verses Deb made for my desktop as I read this “personalized” verse: “You will have perfect peace if you keep focused on Me, Lanny.” (Isaiah 26:3)    AMEN

THE JESUS QUESTIONS

JESUS never Teaches just one Lesson so when we look at The JESUS Questions project we should keep in mind that all His Questions are Lessons from God that reveal the Truth of God and since it is the Son of God Himself doing the “Teaching” we should let the Holy Spirit illuminate our thinking as we study each Question; Jesus will always Teach the “obvious” Lesson but there will always be a “personal” Lesson that God has for each person that studies His Word. Think of this “personal” Lesson like this: Imagine there are 7 people and they are standing in a circle and in the center of their circle is a box with writings on every side of the box. The box is holding an artifact that no one recognizes and the question is asked: “What is in the box?” There is only 1 box and 1 artifact but there are 7 different unique viewpoints to answer the 1 question. The “obvious” answer is that there is “something” in the box but when each one goes to describe the artifact from their unique viewpoint there will be seven different answers, some may have a prior “unique” experience in their past that will help them recognize what the artifact is or “is like” and others may read the writings on their side of the box, but there remains the Obvious Truth that there is a box and the box contains an artifact but to fully understand “purpose” and “meaning” each individual will have to examine not only the box and the artifact but each individual must also consider their “unique” position within the circle of other individuals surrounding the box and the artifact. Jesus IS the Son of God and knows what is in each individual’s heart and keep in mind that God placed every star in the universe in their place so why is it difficult to believe God has placed each one of us in our “unique” place in time to give us a “unique” viewpoint? With each Lesson/Question Jesus is able to Teach each individual the “obvious” Truth of God and at the same time Jesus can address a “personal” circumstance “unique” to each individual. Because of His Infinite Knowledge and Love for us, Jesus always gives us more than we expect, and as He opens our Spiritual Eyes we naturally see different aspects of His Divine Nature. As I examine the context surrounding each Question encountered so far in the Gospel of Matthew, an underlying pattern is emerging that demonstrates that Jesus is building our understanding of the Father by Teaching us “precept upon precept” and “line upon line”. He is also developing an “Outline” to living the Christian Life if we but follow His Example, the key verse for that concept emerged today as I was looking to conclude JQ#08 and move to JQ#09 when the Holy Spirit directed me to use Matthew 9:9-13 as the conclusion of JQ#08 and a summary of JQ#01-JQ#08. Let’s start with Matthew 9:9 where we stopped yesterday with Jesus calling Matthew, a tax collector, with these two words: “Follow Me” (Matthew 9:9) and it was noted that as soon as Jesus called Matthew that Matthew immediately responded: “So [Matthew] arose and followed Him. (Matthew 9:9) What started me on the “Summary” of JQ#1-8 was the opening line in Matthew 9:9 “As Jesus passed on from there…” and the opening line in Matthew 9:10 that reads “Now it happened, as Jesus sat at the table [with] many tax collectors and sinners…” and these were tied together with the last line in Matthew 9:13 which Jesus Himself summarizes “why” he has been healing, demonstrating the Power of God, and forgiving sins when He clearly states: “For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.” (Matthew 9:13) A parallel verse is in John 1:17 “For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” Therefore the Spirit showed that in JQ#1-8 Jesus calls us personally to get involved in His Work which is to do the Father’s Will and we know from John 3:16 that Jesus is God’s Gift to those that BELIEVE in the work of Jesus. Belief in the Work of Jesus as a Gift of God results in “Eternal Life” and JQ#1-8 teach us that Jesus came to “heal” the “sick”, give “sight to the blind”, enable the “lame” to “walk with God”, and that Jesus came to call “sinners” to “repentance”. In these first 8 Jesus Questions Jesus clearly has presented His Gospel: each individual must personally recognize our need as sinners for a Savior, then we are to “believe” that Jesus is the Son of God and has the Power of God to “forgive us our sin”. The really Good News is found back in JQ#07 where we read: “ And behold , a leper came and worshiped Him, saying, ‘Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.’ Then Jesus put out His hand and touched him, saying, ‘I am willing; be cleansed.’” Immediately his leprosy was cleansed.” (Matthew 8:2-3) And lastly once we have been “healed” we are to “Arise” and “follow” Him. In our modern church vernacular (1) We admit we are a sinner (2) We believe Jesus is the Savior and (3) We confess before men that we have decided to “Follow Jesus”. Have you made your personal decision to live your life for Christ who is “willing” to “cleanse” you of your sin and replace your sin with the Gift of Everlasting Life in the Presence of God Almighty?

MARCH 08 THE JESUS QUESTIONS JQ#08 “Why do you think evil in your hearts?” (Matthew 9:4)

MARCH 08  THE JESUS QUESTIONS  JQ#08 “Why do you think evil in your hearts?” (Matthew 9:4)

LIVING FOR JESUS  Daily Prayer    

JESUS, Lord we know that because You are Risen that we can have confidence that our sins are Forgiven. Because You are Risen, we can Hope for our Eternal Fellowship with You and the Father immersed in the Eternal Light of the Holy Spirit!  Lord, forgive me when I get distracted by the world, for when I think I am in control, I quickly see that there is no “Power” in me — what “Power” that is in me is there because of the Marvelous Gift of Grace! Lord always keep Your Life-Death-Crucifixion-Burial & Resurrection before me for when my eyes are on You, I can’t see anything but You and the Living God!    AMEN

THE JESUS QUESTIONS

JESUS healed the paralytic and there was a “multitude” that heard Jesus when He stated the Divine Truth that He had the “power on earth to forgive sins” (Matthew 9:6). It should be noted here that the “multitudes” and the “Scribes” all witnessed the same event but there were two different outcomes: (1) Those that believed Jesus, “marveled and glorified God” (Matthew 9:8) and (2) those that accused Jesus of “blasphemy” were exposed as having “evil in [their] hearts” (Matthew 9:4). This section also was full of examples of God’s Law of Choice and Consequence. One of God’s ways of involving our personal actions in His Work is the Gift of Free Will — God will reveal Himself and His Powers and He will make it clear what His Purpose and Intent towards us is, but He never forces us to choose Him! God wants us to be Free Agents so that we choose what we want to choose; however, He makes it perfectly clear that even though we are free to choose  our “actions” that God has already determined the “Consequence” of our “Free Will Choice”. The Truth of God IS that God NEVER changes and the “Consequence” of our actions is as constant as the effects of gravity for they are the result of God’s Law which is never changing and fairly administered to all creation. It is God’s Laws and His Divine Power that keeps the stars on their course through His heavens and we are able to chart our course because of that same consistency of God’s Laws. God declared in the Garden of Eden that the “penalty for sin is death” but He also provided an “acceptable sacrifice” to cover Adam and Eve’s sin when God killed an animal (most likely a lamb without blemish) which He then presented to Adam and Eve to cover their nakedness. God has been consistent to punish sin with death (i.e. the Great Flood) and yet with each judgement God gives us a choice — God told Noah to get on the ark but God did not force Noah on the ark. God rewarded Noah’s choice by giving all who chose to follow God’s instructions with “life” and those that chose not to get on the ark with “death” thereby administering faithfully His Laws. I challenge you to read this Matthew 9:1-9 passage again and consider how God’s Law of Choice and Consequence was fairly applied to (1) the ones that brought the paralytics to Jesus (2) some of the scribes (3) the paralytic himself and (4) the multitudes that witnessed Jesus physically healing the paralytic. It is very interesting that Jesus said “Arise and walk” in verse 5, then again in verse 6 he says “Arise, take up your bed, and go…” then in verse 7 we read that the paralytic “arose and departed”. The Lesson is that Jesus wants us to get personally involved and exercise our Gift of Free Will to “act” upon our belief in God. Jesus then in verse 9 shows that His intent is for us to “Arise and go” when Jesus tells Matthew “Follow Me” and we read that Matthew “arose and followed Him.” (Matthew 1-9)  Who are you going to chose to follow — Jesus or the world of men?!?!?