Trying to blog again.
meanderthru.blogspot.com
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Taking Up Our Cross
Matthew 16:21-28
Hope everyone spent a good Valentine's Day. I hung out with a couple people from church, ate dinner, and got some school work done. I have a lot of things coming up for school, so it's going to be a rough couple days from here on out.
I was able to catch the Dunk Contest and I must say I was unimpressed. Every year the dunk contest seems to be losing value. They had to create that whole Superman VS Kryptonite story just so people will watch it. Oh well, hopefully next year will get better.
Jesus Fortells His Death/Discipleship Is Costly
Reading: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%2016:21-28;&version=49;
So Jesus in this reading finally warns the disciples about what is to come. He tells them that He will suffer through many things and eventually be killed by the chiefs. Eventually after three days, however, He will be risen from the dead. Peter is shocked and said none of this should happen to Jesus. Jesus surprisingly tells Peter to get back and not be a hindrance from the path of God. He even says Satan and tells him to get back. The interest of man should not get in the way of the path of God.
This shows how all this was destined to be and how when something is decided by God, there is no turning away from it. We have to realize that what is in God's plans will ultimately always prevail. This means we do not have to worry about whether or not God's plans will be able to follow through. It will. Whatever we do will not hinder it. Another thing that this shows is how the death of Jesus Christ was planned and was His main mission while here on earth. Remember how Jesus felt compassion for the people. While He was here to heal, teach, and share, His main purpose was for this ultimate climax.
Jesus tells us something important here. He says that whoever wants to follow Him must deny Himself and take up on the cross. We will lose our lives if that's what we seek to save, but find it if we lose it for the sake of Him. Jesus declares that He will repay every man according to their deeds. We will not be saved unless Jesus does this.
This is the beautiful story of Jesus's death. It's something that's so crucial to our belief. We have to believe that this was all destined and that if it didn't happen, we would not be able to enter the kingdom. Our sins would not have been repented for. We need Jesus. Are we able to take up the cross and follow Jesus? That's the big question. We need to be able to sacrifice everything and follow Jesus.
Hope everyone spent a good Valentine's Day. I hung out with a couple people from church, ate dinner, and got some school work done. I have a lot of things coming up for school, so it's going to be a rough couple days from here on out.
I was able to catch the Dunk Contest and I must say I was unimpressed. Every year the dunk contest seems to be losing value. They had to create that whole Superman VS Kryptonite story just so people will watch it. Oh well, hopefully next year will get better.
Jesus Fortells His Death/Discipleship Is Costly
Reading: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%2016:21-28;&version=49;
So Jesus in this reading finally warns the disciples about what is to come. He tells them that He will suffer through many things and eventually be killed by the chiefs. Eventually after three days, however, He will be risen from the dead. Peter is shocked and said none of this should happen to Jesus. Jesus surprisingly tells Peter to get back and not be a hindrance from the path of God. He even says Satan and tells him to get back. The interest of man should not get in the way of the path of God.
This shows how all this was destined to be and how when something is decided by God, there is no turning away from it. We have to realize that what is in God's plans will ultimately always prevail. This means we do not have to worry about whether or not God's plans will be able to follow through. It will. Whatever we do will not hinder it. Another thing that this shows is how the death of Jesus Christ was planned and was His main mission while here on earth. Remember how Jesus felt compassion for the people. While He was here to heal, teach, and share, His main purpose was for this ultimate climax.
Jesus tells us something important here. He says that whoever wants to follow Him must deny Himself and take up on the cross. We will lose our lives if that's what we seek to save, but find it if we lose it for the sake of Him. Jesus declares that He will repay every man according to their deeds. We will not be saved unless Jesus does this.
This is the beautiful story of Jesus's death. It's something that's so crucial to our belief. We have to believe that this was all destined and that if it didn't happen, we would not be able to enter the kingdom. Our sins would not have been repented for. We need Jesus. Are we able to take up the cross and follow Jesus? That's the big question. We need to be able to sacrifice everything and follow Jesus.
Friday, February 13, 2009
Who Is Jesus?
Matthew 16:13-20
Today was very tiring. I slept pretty much the entire day because of my cold. I wanted to get rid of my cold as fast as possible. I want to make sure that I'm healthy by next week because I have a lot of exams coming up. Today's Bible Study was rather small, but I liked the topic. I wish my small group members gained something out of it.
I don't know why yesterday's post got cut off. I wrote my summary of the passage, but for some reason it was deleted. I think I deleted it before publishing it. In any case, my bad. I posted it again in case you want to know what it was about. Actually I re-wrote it because I can't seem to get back what I wrote. :(
Peter's Confession Of Christ
Reading: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%2016:13-20;&version=49;
Jesus and His disciples arrived in Caesarea Philippi and He asked His disciples who the people in the district were saying the Son of Man was. They replied that the people thought John the Baptist, Elijah, or Jeremiah were the Son of Man. Then Jesus asked the disciples who they think He is. And Peter replied that He is Christ, the Son of the Living God. Jesus blessed Peter and told Him that He will build churches with him. Then He told the disciples not to tell anyone that He is Christ.
Now to go back to when Jesus asked who the people thought the Son of Man was, I think this question had two purposes. The first was to see what the crowd thought and to see what kind of an impact He may have left on the people. It could be to check on what people were thinking so that He can make preparations for His death. He could also be checking to see if people were being affected by His presence, both good and bad. I think Jesus's intention with the question was to see the faith of these people. If the people's faiths were strong, they would have noticed who the real Son of God was.
The second intention was to see what the disciples thought. I think when He especially asked who they thought He was, it was a question of their faith. Then I thought, if Jesus asked us that question, would we be able to answer the way Peter did. Do we have a faith strong enough to answer that He truly is the Son of God. Or is He just another one of those things that we follow because a lot of other people follow Him.
This passage really made me wonder about how I think about Jesus. The way Jesus asked the first question really hit me because it made me wonder how I view Jesus. Do I perceive Jesus the same way other people perceive their gods? Or is Jesus something more, or maybe even less. Is He just something I worship because I've been taught to? Or do I really believe He is Christ. Am I strong enough in faith for Him to build a church with. That's the question we really need to be asking ourselves.
Today was very tiring. I slept pretty much the entire day because of my cold. I wanted to get rid of my cold as fast as possible. I want to make sure that I'm healthy by next week because I have a lot of exams coming up. Today's Bible Study was rather small, but I liked the topic. I wish my small group members gained something out of it.
I don't know why yesterday's post got cut off. I wrote my summary of the passage, but for some reason it was deleted. I think I deleted it before publishing it. In any case, my bad. I posted it again in case you want to know what it was about. Actually I re-wrote it because I can't seem to get back what I wrote. :(
Peter's Confession Of Christ
Reading: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%2016:13-20;&version=49;
Jesus and His disciples arrived in Caesarea Philippi and He asked His disciples who the people in the district were saying the Son of Man was. They replied that the people thought John the Baptist, Elijah, or Jeremiah were the Son of Man. Then Jesus asked the disciples who they think He is. And Peter replied that He is Christ, the Son of the Living God. Jesus blessed Peter and told Him that He will build churches with him. Then He told the disciples not to tell anyone that He is Christ.
Now to go back to when Jesus asked who the people thought the Son of Man was, I think this question had two purposes. The first was to see what the crowd thought and to see what kind of an impact He may have left on the people. It could be to check on what people were thinking so that He can make preparations for His death. He could also be checking to see if people were being affected by His presence, both good and bad. I think Jesus's intention with the question was to see the faith of these people. If the people's faiths were strong, they would have noticed who the real Son of God was.
The second intention was to see what the disciples thought. I think when He especially asked who they thought He was, it was a question of their faith. Then I thought, if Jesus asked us that question, would we be able to answer the way Peter did. Do we have a faith strong enough to answer that He truly is the Son of God. Or is He just another one of those things that we follow because a lot of other people follow Him.
This passage really made me wonder about how I think about Jesus. The way Jesus asked the first question really hit me because it made me wonder how I view Jesus. Do I perceive Jesus the same way other people perceive their gods? Or is Jesus something more, or maybe even less. Is He just something I worship because I've been taught to? Or do I really believe He is Christ. Am I strong enough in faith for Him to build a church with. That's the question we really need to be asking ourselves.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Signs
Matthew 16:1-12
So I did catch a cold and it sucks. My throat hurts really bad and everytime I cough or sneeze it hurts. :( I took my vitamins, ate food, and had a good night sleep. I don't know what I lacked, but I want to get over this stupid cold as fast as possible. It just makes me feel so lazy. I feel like just going home and hibernating for a while. Too bad I have a lot of stuff due the next week and will probably have to study for a couple classes with exams coming up. This cold could not come at a better time.
Classes today were annoying because of my cold. Chinese I was just hoping the teacher wouldn't call on me to read something because talking hurts. Lab was tedious and I was done with the lab before we even started with the second part. I was just going through the motions, harassing the TA with questions, and pretty much making the TA do everything. Senior design was a waste of time because I absolutely couldn't think. This was a very unproductive day.
Pharisees Test Jesus
Reading: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%2016:1-12;&version=49;
The reading today was about another time when the Pharisees tested Jesus. They've been pretty persistent with the tests till now. The last time we read about the tests in Matthew was back in Galilee when they asked Jesus why His disciples did not follow the traditions of the elders. Jesus replied that it was not about what entered the mouth but what came out that defiled the man. He immediately rebuked and put down the traditions that the Pharisees so treasured and lived with.
This test was about vision. They said that when it is evening Jesus says it will be fair weather because the sky is red and when it is morning Jesus says there will be a storm because the sky is red. They were wondering if Jesus had any abilities in telling the future or any prophetic signs. Jesus replied to this saying that the wicked generation always seeks signs, but no signs will be given to them. How many of us always look for signs for truth? In an age where people are so desparate for vision, if we don't have a sign, we don't believe it. Why are people so into science? Because we can see something. We see a result. And we believe that result. We are always looking for signs. But Jesus tells us here that we will not be given any signs.
Jesus then goes on and His disciples forget to bring any bread. Jesus tells them to beware of the food that the Pharisees have. The disciples think that He said this because He realized that they did not have any bread. Immediately Jesus asks why they had so little faith. He fed them before, the five thousand, and the four thousand. Yet, they still don't believe that He is capable of supplying them with daily needs. The command was simply a warning against the Pharisees.
This is very important because we are always into signs. And when we do get a sign, we eat it up. When we are desparate for something and we get it, we'll be so into it that we forget everything else. Jesus is giving us a warning for that. We have to build up on our faith to protect against such things.
So I did catch a cold and it sucks. My throat hurts really bad and everytime I cough or sneeze it hurts. :( I took my vitamins, ate food, and had a good night sleep. I don't know what I lacked, but I want to get over this stupid cold as fast as possible. It just makes me feel so lazy. I feel like just going home and hibernating for a while. Too bad I have a lot of stuff due the next week and will probably have to study for a couple classes with exams coming up. This cold could not come at a better time.
Classes today were annoying because of my cold. Chinese I was just hoping the teacher wouldn't call on me to read something because talking hurts. Lab was tedious and I was done with the lab before we even started with the second part. I was just going through the motions, harassing the TA with questions, and pretty much making the TA do everything. Senior design was a waste of time because I absolutely couldn't think. This was a very unproductive day.
Pharisees Test Jesus
Reading: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%2016:1-12;&version=49;
The reading today was about another time when the Pharisees tested Jesus. They've been pretty persistent with the tests till now. The last time we read about the tests in Matthew was back in Galilee when they asked Jesus why His disciples did not follow the traditions of the elders. Jesus replied that it was not about what entered the mouth but what came out that defiled the man. He immediately rebuked and put down the traditions that the Pharisees so treasured and lived with.
This test was about vision. They said that when it is evening Jesus says it will be fair weather because the sky is red and when it is morning Jesus says there will be a storm because the sky is red. They were wondering if Jesus had any abilities in telling the future or any prophetic signs. Jesus replied to this saying that the wicked generation always seeks signs, but no signs will be given to them. How many of us always look for signs for truth? In an age where people are so desparate for vision, if we don't have a sign, we don't believe it. Why are people so into science? Because we can see something. We see a result. And we believe that result. We are always looking for signs. But Jesus tells us here that we will not be given any signs.
Jesus then goes on and His disciples forget to bring any bread. Jesus tells them to beware of the food that the Pharisees have. The disciples think that He said this because He realized that they did not have any bread. Immediately Jesus asks why they had so little faith. He fed them before, the five thousand, and the four thousand. Yet, they still don't believe that He is capable of supplying them with daily needs. The command was simply a warning against the Pharisees.
This is very important because we are always into signs. And when we do get a sign, we eat it up. When we are desparate for something and we get it, we'll be so into it that we forget everything else. Jesus is giving us a warning for that. We have to build up on our faith to protect against such things.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Compassion Of Jesus
Matthew 15:29-39
Classes today weren't all that exciting either. We're getting closer to that stage where we know the drill and everything is just repetition now. Why can't education by more exciting. *sigh*
I hope I didn't catch a cold. Chances are that I did. I had a very sore throat this morning. My body was feeling alright till around noon when it started to feel weak. I went over the Panda Express (yes, it's now open if you guys didn't know) and got some hot and sour soup. That felt good. Only now I need more. It was a rough day.
Reading: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%2015:29-39;&version=49;
The passage moves on from the woman and Jesus is again continuing on with His voyage and healing people along the way. The one thing to note here is how He is now meeting gentiles, meaning non-Jews. He's healing and teaching everyone, not just the chosen people. It's important to note that this is important as Jesus shows us His true motives. Yes He came to tend the sheep that have been chosen, but it's through these people which He intends to reach everyone. While He is on His journey, everyone realizes His greatness and worships the God of Israel.
Then Jesus says something that is very important. He says that He has "compassion" for these people. What exactly is compassion? If you look up the word compassion in the Merriam Webster dictionary, you would find that it means something along the lines of feeling sympathy and others' distress, and a desire to alleviate it. Jesus is stating here that He feels sympathy for the crowd. Remember, that He's with a crowd that includes gentiles. So He feels sympathy and a desire to alleviate our distress. He realizes how sin is holding us back and wishes to solve this problem. This is very very important as it gives us the reason for Jesus's dying on the cross. Not only was it a mission that Jesus came on earth to do, but it's something he desired because He wanted to alleviate our pains. And that's why Jesus is so great.
Continuing on you will find that Jesus tells the disciples not to send the crowd away. He also says that He realizes that the people have had nothing to eat for the past 3 days. The disciples, like they have before, asks how they should manage this situation. Now why would the disciples ask this question a second time after they saw what Jesus was capable of doing? Could it be because the first time it was for the Jews and it was almost a given that Jesus would save them and now that the crowd involves gentiles it's a different situation? Perhaps they're trying to see what else Jesus is capable of? In any case Jesus asks what food is availabe, and again they had loaves of bread and some fish. Once again, Jesus used this supply to feed the crowd and the crowd was satisfied.
Now is this situation different from the first time Jesus fed the crowd? A little, because the crowd is different. Jesus also might be in a different situation now that He has had a little conflict with the Pharisees. Afterall, He insulted their traditions and as a result Jesus might have more enemies now. Regardless, Jesus continued to supply and heal, and most importantly, He had compassion on the people. Jesus, regardless of who you are, is here for us. He feels compassion for all of us and wishes to bring all of us to His kingdom.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Great Faith
Matthew 15:21-28
Anyone listen to the interview with Alex Rodriguez? I thought it was a good interview, even though we all probably knew that was the way he was going to come out. I mean looking at how Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, and Andy Pettite handled the situation, the only good way to come out of this situation is simply by telling the truth. And I'm glad A-Rod decided to take that path and hopefully things will be better from here on out. But let's talk about this for a second because I think it's interesting and somewhat aggravating.
If you haven't seen the interview, just go to espn.com and they have the entire interview. Listen to it and see if you agree with him, feel sympathy, etc. Regardless, I'm mad about the entire situation. First off the fact that this was supposed to be a concealed test and the result was leaked out bothers me a lot. Especially since the test dates back to 2003. Are you serious? Lesson to be learned, you can't trust anybody. Make sure you see the end of everything before moving on. Seriously, does anyone keep their word these days? I know we're all quick to say A-Rod is at fault and I agree he should be penalized for doing something that's wrong, but the people heading these tests should get penalized as well for lying about privacy.
Now having that out of the way, what do you guys feel about steroids? I mean at first I hated it and hated everyone having to deal with it, but after hearing numerous interviews and radio talks about it, I don't know what to think. The people who side with steroids (or feel sympathy, at least) respond by saying that at the time the culture was different. The rules were very lax and a lot of the people were taking it. They took it for 3 reasons: to get a position on the team, to recover from an injury to avoid losing a spot, and to compete. Getting a position on the team I'm not sure about because I think with natural talent you should be able to get the position. But recovering and competing I can see a case. If you have a serious injury that may take 2-3 years away from your playing time, this could be detrimental (lol) to your career. Especially when younger kids come in year after year, I can see the pressure to come back. Competing? If the rules were this lax and everyone was taking it, then what's to say that your job is safe without it? If you know that Bob in the lockerroom is roid'ing up and he's not getting caught and producing better stats than you are, and your job is now at stake, what are you going to do? Then it's not a simple "say no to drugs" situation.
But at the end of the day, cheating is cheating and lying is lying. But these are all interesting viewpoints and especially with so many players coming out to have taken such substances, it's really hard to get a stance in something.
The Syrophoenician Woman
Reading: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%2015:21-28;&version=49;
The reading I did for today is an amazing one because it shows what faith should be like. In numerous encounters with the sick, Jesus met people with different types of faith. And He healed those that had faith in Him. Only the ones with faith could truly be healed by Jesus. But you must wonder, after they've been saved and cured, would they still truly obey and follow Jesus like they should? You would think they would, but think about it. I think a very few actually continued with Jesus and continued to thank Him everyday.
Today's reading is a story of a woman that deserves nothing. Well in all honesty, none of us, including the Jews, deserve anything. But the woman in the story is like an outcast. Her ancestors betrayed God and were to be destroyed by the Jews. She was a Canaanite. These people were the last people to be expected to receive any grace. Yet here comes the woman begging Jesus to save her daughter. Think about what she had to do to come to this place. First off she had a lot of idols that she probably worshipped, but none of them seemed to be working for her. Then she decided that Jesus was the only one who could possibly save her daughter and went to Jesus, where she probably thought she would get rejected.
What's interesting is Jesus's answer. Many times when we ask Jesus something, it's our lack of faith that usually hinders us from truly getting to know Him. This is the first case we see where Jesus Himself rejects someone. Why? Look at the situation. The first time Jesus answer that He was sent only for the lost sheep in Israel. In other words, she is not one of the people that He came to save. Basically Jesus is telling her that because she's not a Jew, she doesn't deserver this! How insulting! Yet, she persists and continues to beg and honor Jesus. She could have easily said, the heck with that, fine you want only Jews? What kind of religion is this!? Yet, she understood the truth. She understood what was true.
Then Jesus answers that the food for children is not for the dogs. Yet the woman persists and says that she is willing to even take the crumbs of that food. This hurts. JESUS is saying that the woman is basically a dog! Imagine what you would do if the one you worshipped is offending you in such a way. Yet, the woman knows the truth and continues. Then Jesus replies that her faith is great and heals her daughter.
Now why did Jesus do this? I believe it was a test. It was a true test for true faith. So many people show faith and quickly forget. But this woman showed genuine faith. She showed great faith. That's the kind of faith we need to have.
Anyone listen to the interview with Alex Rodriguez? I thought it was a good interview, even though we all probably knew that was the way he was going to come out. I mean looking at how Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, and Andy Pettite handled the situation, the only good way to come out of this situation is simply by telling the truth. And I'm glad A-Rod decided to take that path and hopefully things will be better from here on out. But let's talk about this for a second because I think it's interesting and somewhat aggravating.
If you haven't seen the interview, just go to espn.com and they have the entire interview. Listen to it and see if you agree with him, feel sympathy, etc. Regardless, I'm mad about the entire situation. First off the fact that this was supposed to be a concealed test and the result was leaked out bothers me a lot. Especially since the test dates back to 2003. Are you serious? Lesson to be learned, you can't trust anybody. Make sure you see the end of everything before moving on. Seriously, does anyone keep their word these days? I know we're all quick to say A-Rod is at fault and I agree he should be penalized for doing something that's wrong, but the people heading these tests should get penalized as well for lying about privacy.
Now having that out of the way, what do you guys feel about steroids? I mean at first I hated it and hated everyone having to deal with it, but after hearing numerous interviews and radio talks about it, I don't know what to think. The people who side with steroids (or feel sympathy, at least) respond by saying that at the time the culture was different. The rules were very lax and a lot of the people were taking it. They took it for 3 reasons: to get a position on the team, to recover from an injury to avoid losing a spot, and to compete. Getting a position on the team I'm not sure about because I think with natural talent you should be able to get the position. But recovering and competing I can see a case. If you have a serious injury that may take 2-3 years away from your playing time, this could be detrimental (lol) to your career. Especially when younger kids come in year after year, I can see the pressure to come back. Competing? If the rules were this lax and everyone was taking it, then what's to say that your job is safe without it? If you know that Bob in the lockerroom is roid'ing up and he's not getting caught and producing better stats than you are, and your job is now at stake, what are you going to do? Then it's not a simple "say no to drugs" situation.
But at the end of the day, cheating is cheating and lying is lying. But these are all interesting viewpoints and especially with so many players coming out to have taken such substances, it's really hard to get a stance in something.
The Syrophoenician Woman
Reading: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%2015:21-28;&version=49;
The reading I did for today is an amazing one because it shows what faith should be like. In numerous encounters with the sick, Jesus met people with different types of faith. And He healed those that had faith in Him. Only the ones with faith could truly be healed by Jesus. But you must wonder, after they've been saved and cured, would they still truly obey and follow Jesus like they should? You would think they would, but think about it. I think a very few actually continued with Jesus and continued to thank Him everyday.
Today's reading is a story of a woman that deserves nothing. Well in all honesty, none of us, including the Jews, deserve anything. But the woman in the story is like an outcast. Her ancestors betrayed God and were to be destroyed by the Jews. She was a Canaanite. These people were the last people to be expected to receive any grace. Yet here comes the woman begging Jesus to save her daughter. Think about what she had to do to come to this place. First off she had a lot of idols that she probably worshipped, but none of them seemed to be working for her. Then she decided that Jesus was the only one who could possibly save her daughter and went to Jesus, where she probably thought she would get rejected.
What's interesting is Jesus's answer. Many times when we ask Jesus something, it's our lack of faith that usually hinders us from truly getting to know Him. This is the first case we see where Jesus Himself rejects someone. Why? Look at the situation. The first time Jesus answer that He was sent only for the lost sheep in Israel. In other words, she is not one of the people that He came to save. Basically Jesus is telling her that because she's not a Jew, she doesn't deserver this! How insulting! Yet, she persists and continues to beg and honor Jesus. She could have easily said, the heck with that, fine you want only Jews? What kind of religion is this!? Yet, she understood the truth. She understood what was true.
Then Jesus answers that the food for children is not for the dogs. Yet the woman persists and says that she is willing to even take the crumbs of that food. This hurts. JESUS is saying that the woman is basically a dog! Imagine what you would do if the one you worshipped is offending you in such a way. Yet, the woman knows the truth and continues. Then Jesus replies that her faith is great and heals her daughter.
Now why did Jesus do this? I believe it was a test. It was a true test for true faith. So many people show faith and quickly forget. But this woman showed genuine faith. She showed great faith. That's the kind of faith we need to have.
Monday, February 9, 2009
What's In Your Heart?
Matthew 15:15-20
It's Monday again and I don't think it was that crazy. I had classes, I went a ton of homework assignments and I have a lot of things that I need to take care of for the week. A lot of today I found myself listening to sermons though. I recently found that John MacArthur has a website with a lot of his sermons on it. It's very very good, so if you guys have an opportunity to listen to them, you should check it out.
Other news is Alex Rodriguez. What do you guys think about this? I mean steroids at first I was completely against, but it's gotten really out of hand. It's to a point where I don't know what to think of it. I'm waiting for how he will respond.
The Heart Of Man
Reading: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%2015:15-20;&version=49;
To start this reading, we need to go back to the reading from yesterday, which I said I will cover today. Starting from verse 10, Jesus tells the crowd that it's not what enters the mouth that defiles the man but what comes out of it. The disciples were worried that this would hurt the Pharisees and asked Jesus if this was such a good idea. Jesus replied that every plant that God did not plant will be uprooted. He tells them to leave them alone for the blind lead the blind into a pit.
Before moving on it's important to note the situation. Jesus just told the Pharisees that what they were worshipping was not God but their traditions. And that for the sake of tradition, the Pharisees were not truly worshipping and honoring God. Then Jesus tells the crowd, probably the crowd that has been following Jesus, that it's not what enters the mouth but what comes out of it. Why is this important? Well I think Jesus is actually trying to explain two things here.
1. The tradition that the Pharisees have. You have to understand that the Pharisees were very faithful in following the law. Anything that came out of Leviticus, they followed strictly. If you remember, in Leviticus, God lists things that you can and cannot eat. Things that would be not good before worshipping. Jesus is saying that that's not the point. It doesn't matter what you eat. How offended would they be! Here all their lives the Pharisees have been living under the notion that this was crucial. Yet Jesus is showing them that they're missing the point. If you look around the New Testament, Jesus will show us this. I think the following verse in Titus summarizes it best:
"This testimony is true. For this reason reprove them severely so that they may be sound in the faith, not paying attention to Jewish myths and commandments of men who turn away from the truth." Titus 1:13-14
Basically all these "myths and commandments" are turning men away from what's true. It's interesting to note that Jesus tells us to completely ignore these people. He calls them the blind. He leads other blinds into a pit. It's not our job do anything with them. In other words, don't go out there trying to make it right yourself. God never told us to do that. It's God's job. Don't worry about it. Don't let it hurt you in return.
2. What comes out of your mouth is important. Now why Jesus uses the mouth I don't know. But basically what comes out of you is what matters. What then do you need? You need a firm foundation. You need something good inside to come outside. That's what's important. What then is that important thing? We learn that from today's reading.
The heart of man is the response. Peter asks Jesus what all this meant. Jesus tells us that in order to have the good things come out of our mouth, we need a pure heart. If the heart is unclean, then we will in turn be defiled. If you have a bad heart, then nothing good can come out of it. And this brings us back to the Beattitudes. Remember, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." This is the key point. If we don't have a pure heart, then all this is meaningless. I hope we can all pray for a pure heart.
It's Monday again and I don't think it was that crazy. I had classes, I went a ton of homework assignments and I have a lot of things that I need to take care of for the week. A lot of today I found myself listening to sermons though. I recently found that John MacArthur has a website with a lot of his sermons on it. It's very very good, so if you guys have an opportunity to listen to them, you should check it out.
Other news is Alex Rodriguez. What do you guys think about this? I mean steroids at first I was completely against, but it's gotten really out of hand. It's to a point where I don't know what to think of it. I'm waiting for how he will respond.
The Heart Of Man
Reading: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%2015:15-20;&version=49;
To start this reading, we need to go back to the reading from yesterday, which I said I will cover today. Starting from verse 10, Jesus tells the crowd that it's not what enters the mouth that defiles the man but what comes out of it. The disciples were worried that this would hurt the Pharisees and asked Jesus if this was such a good idea. Jesus replied that every plant that God did not plant will be uprooted. He tells them to leave them alone for the blind lead the blind into a pit.
Before moving on it's important to note the situation. Jesus just told the Pharisees that what they were worshipping was not God but their traditions. And that for the sake of tradition, the Pharisees were not truly worshipping and honoring God. Then Jesus tells the crowd, probably the crowd that has been following Jesus, that it's not what enters the mouth but what comes out of it. Why is this important? Well I think Jesus is actually trying to explain two things here.
1. The tradition that the Pharisees have. You have to understand that the Pharisees were very faithful in following the law. Anything that came out of Leviticus, they followed strictly. If you remember, in Leviticus, God lists things that you can and cannot eat. Things that would be not good before worshipping. Jesus is saying that that's not the point. It doesn't matter what you eat. How offended would they be! Here all their lives the Pharisees have been living under the notion that this was crucial. Yet Jesus is showing them that they're missing the point. If you look around the New Testament, Jesus will show us this. I think the following verse in Titus summarizes it best:
"This testimony is true. For this reason reprove them severely so that they may be sound in the faith, not paying attention to Jewish myths and commandments of men who turn away from the truth." Titus 1:13-14
Basically all these "myths and commandments" are turning men away from what's true. It's interesting to note that Jesus tells us to completely ignore these people. He calls them the blind. He leads other blinds into a pit. It's not our job do anything with them. In other words, don't go out there trying to make it right yourself. God never told us to do that. It's God's job. Don't worry about it. Don't let it hurt you in return.
2. What comes out of your mouth is important. Now why Jesus uses the mouth I don't know. But basically what comes out of you is what matters. What then do you need? You need a firm foundation. You need something good inside to come outside. That's what's important. What then is that important thing? We learn that from today's reading.
The heart of man is the response. Peter asks Jesus what all this meant. Jesus tells us that in order to have the good things come out of our mouth, we need a pure heart. If the heart is unclean, then we will in turn be defiled. If you have a bad heart, then nothing good can come out of it. And this brings us back to the Beattitudes. Remember, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." This is the key point. If we don't have a pure heart, then all this is meaningless. I hope we can all pray for a pure heart.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Hypocritical Worship
Matthew 15:1-14
It was a beautiful Sunday. Weather was amazing and the day is refreshing. And what's more, the Lakers beat the Cavaliers, handing them their first loss at home court. Anyone else watch this game? All I've got to say is, how about Lamar Odom? I always knew he had potential. Now if he can produce those numbers on a daily basis, the Lakers will be able to compete again in the Finals, with or without Andrew Bynum.
It was a beautiful Sunday. Weather was amazing and the day is refreshing. And what's more, the Lakers beat the Cavaliers, handing them their first loss at home court. Anyone else watch this game? All I've got to say is, how about Lamar Odom? I always knew he had potential. Now if he can produce those numbers on a daily basis, the Lakers will be able to compete again in the Finals, with or without Andrew Bynum.
Unfortunately, I barely got any work done today. I felt like so lazy. I came home after church, watched the game and fell asleep and woke up at 7pm. I don't particularly have any assignment due or any exams this week, but I still feel bad. I wanted to be able to complete a lot of work today, but it just didn't happen. Oh well, not going to cry about it now.
I liked Joe's message today. The part that I really liked was about the importance of sharing. I want to do that a lot more from now on. And I made a promise with God that I will make a better attempt to do this more regularly. Whether it be through this blog, the means is not important. When I get blessed by something, or I find something interesting and important, I want to be able to share with everyone. On that note, let me share with you guys my reading for today. It's an important one.
I liked Joe's message today. The part that I really liked was about the importance of sharing. I want to do that a lot more from now on. And I made a promise with God that I will make a better attempt to do this more regularly. Whether it be through this blog, the means is not important. When I get blessed by something, or I find something interesting and important, I want to be able to share with everyone. On that note, let me share with you guys my reading for today. It's an important one.
Tradition And Commandment
Going back to what had happened before, Jesus was at His peak. He fed 5000 people, walked on water, and healed the sick. He was probably recognized by everyone. When He entered Gennesaret, the scripture says, "the men of that place recognized Him, they sent word into all that surrounding district and brought to Him all who were sick." But this is where I believe His popularity starts declining. Starting here it's all downhill as people start to persecute Him and try to discredit Him. And it starts here, when the Pharisees try to test Him.
While Jesus is healing people, a group of Pharisees come to Jesus from Jerusalem. That's a big deal because Jersualem was a center of where people were educated about the law. So now we've got big guys coming to try to test Jesus. They ask Him why His disciples don't follow the traditions of the elders. Jesus answers with this, "Why do you yourselves transgress the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition?"
What is this tradition that the Pharisees and Jesus speak of? Why is it so important to these teachers of the law and so unimportant to Jesus? As I pondered about this, the first thing that came to mind were any traditions that we may follow, communion, baptism, tithing, etc. But I don't think that's what they were referring to here. Reading verse 4, Jesus explains that the commandment says to honor your father and mother. Yet, for the sake of "tradition," they cannot honor this commandment. What does this mean? I've been looking around for an interpretation to this, and this is what I think it means. Basically they had a tradition of giving thanks to God and offering a gift. When you claimed it was a gift to God, you couldn't do anything with whatever that gift was. The offering of a gift was biblical, but misinterpretted God's purpose with it and made it a tradition that they strictly followed. If you want to know more about this, the word they use is "dorban." Anyways, because of this tradition, they cannot follow the commandment God created.
Then comes the most crucial verse in this reading (verses 8-9):
"THIS PEOPLE HONORS ME WITH THEIR LIPS,
BUT THEIR HEART IS FAR AWAY FROM ME.
BUT IN VAIN DO THEY WORSHIP ME,
TEACHING AS DOCTRINES THE PRECEPTS OF MEN."
BUT THEIR HEART IS FAR AWAY FROM ME.
BUT IN VAIN DO THEY WORSHIP ME,
TEACHING AS DOCTRINES THE PRECEPTS OF MEN."
Essentially what's going on here is that these people were worshipping with traditions and external motions and not with their hearts. Jesus was condemning their style of worship because it was missing the point. The Pharisees made worship into a type of motion of service. They were missing God and His purpose.
So that's the question that we have to ask ourselves. Are we just going through motions and praising God because of some "tradition" we may have created. Because if that's what we're doing, then we are hypocrites. We are in a way insulting Jesus. And for some reason I think this is evident in so many of us today. We really need to check our hearts and see our true motives. This passage is pretty eye-opening and was a test for me. I think we really have to see what type of worship we're giving God.
I will cover verses 10-14 tomorrow along with the next reading because they are somewhat connected. I think for today this reading on hypocritical worship is enough. Let us not mistake what's really for God and what isn't.
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Walking On Water
Matthew 14:22-36
Weekends are so relaxing. I love it. Today I accomplished absolutely nothing today. I slept for a very long time and woke up at like 9pm. I tried to do some work, but I really didn't feel like doing it. I just decided to relax, watch some TV and browse the Internet.
Jesus Walks On The Water
Reading: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%2014:22-36;&version=31;
Jesus told the disciples to get on the boat and go on ahead to the other side. He also dismissed the crowd because He wanted to pray on the mountainside by himself. The boat was straying away from Jesus because the wind was going against it. The disciples must have been worrying because they were getting further and further away from Jesus. What would the disciples have done at this point? They were probably desparately looking for a way to get closer back to land. They were probably worrying about Jesus. But again, there is nothing to worry about because Jesus has everything under control.
Jesus then approached the disciples and the disciples were terrified because they thought He was a ghost. Imagine how scary it would be to see someone approaching in the middle of the night and you're in the middle of the sea! It must have scared the disciples a lot. Jesus tells them not to worry and asks Peter to come out and approach Him. Peter was successfully walking on water but then fell because he was scared of the wind that approached him. He lacked the faith. They went to Gennesaret and word got around. Jesus healed their sick.
This is the ever famous story about how Jesus walks on water and if we have faith, we should be able to do the same. It's a simple illustration of how if we have faith in Jesus, anything is possible. This is like a Sunday School reading, but I think it's rather refreshing. It's good to read this story again and have faith in God. With Him, anything is possible.
Weekends are so relaxing. I love it. Today I accomplished absolutely nothing today. I slept for a very long time and woke up at like 9pm. I tried to do some work, but I really didn't feel like doing it. I just decided to relax, watch some TV and browse the Internet.
Jesus Walks On The Water
Reading: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%2014:22-36;&version=31;
Jesus told the disciples to get on the boat and go on ahead to the other side. He also dismissed the crowd because He wanted to pray on the mountainside by himself. The boat was straying away from Jesus because the wind was going against it. The disciples must have been worrying because they were getting further and further away from Jesus. What would the disciples have done at this point? They were probably desparately looking for a way to get closer back to land. They were probably worrying about Jesus. But again, there is nothing to worry about because Jesus has everything under control.
Jesus then approached the disciples and the disciples were terrified because they thought He was a ghost. Imagine how scary it would be to see someone approaching in the middle of the night and you're in the middle of the sea! It must have scared the disciples a lot. Jesus tells them not to worry and asks Peter to come out and approach Him. Peter was successfully walking on water but then fell because he was scared of the wind that approached him. He lacked the faith. They went to Gennesaret and word got around. Jesus healed their sick.
This is the ever famous story about how Jesus walks on water and if we have faith, we should be able to do the same. It's a simple illustration of how if we have faith in Jesus, anything is possible. This is like a Sunday School reading, but I think it's rather refreshing. It's good to read this story again and have faith in God. With Him, anything is possible.
Friday, February 6, 2009
Five Thousand, Fed
Matthew 14:13-21
Ok, I'm having trouble with this blogger thing. Everytime I submit or try to change anything, it keeps erasing my entry. And it sucks because I have autosave on and it keeps saving my erased entry. I tried control z and it's not working. This is annoying me. So I'm going to save this right now and if you read this and this blog isn't complete, that's because I'm saving and publishing as I go.
I'm having a rough day and a rough week. Really bad. I don't know what it is but it's driving me nuts. It also does not help that this blogger thing is erasing every entry I put in. I wrote an entry this morning that was very very long. All gone. Tried again an hour ago. Erased again. This is driving me up the wall. So sorry if this entry seems rather poor.
Again my week has been rough. It started off really busy then I started not understanding things, I started falling behind, I started pulling all nighters trying to understand stuff, and yea. Not a good week. I'm actually not even happy that it's over because I know I have a lot of catch-up work to do right now. *sigh*
I just came back from Small Group and honestly I'm really tired from it. It's been really hard today for some reason. Maybe it's my attitude coming into the Bible Study? I don't know it was just really frustrating this entire day. I need to put an end to this day. Forgive me for sounding angry. But I am. :(
Jesus Feeds The Five Thousand
Reading: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%2014:13-21;&version=31;
This reading is very popular but that doesn't mean we need to go deeply into it. It's the story of how Jesus used loaves of bread and fish and turned it into enough food to feed five thousand people.
The reading starts off from last time, when John the Baptist was beheaded. Having heard this Jesus sought after a quiet place. Now that's really cool. Not cool because John died, but because Jesus shows that He actually cares for us. Not many other religions can say the same thing. Jesus shows that He is mourning in a sense and really prays for John. Knowing this I feel a little more comfortable because I know Jesus has my back. Thanks Jesus.
The people in the towns decided to follow Jesus all the way. Seeing that they had faith and wanted to follow Him, Jesus healed the sick. Then it got very late and the disciples worried for the crowd. He told Jesus to send them back to their towns so they can get something to eat. However, Jesus told them to have the people stay. They found among them five loaves of bread and two fish. Jesus said it was sufficient and distributed the loaves of bread. The entire crowd, five thousand people, was fed.
Now how does this work? I have no idea. But that's not important. The important thing is to note that Jesus can work with anything, no matter how small. So we may feel insignificant or useless, but believe it or not, Jesus has a use for us. All of us. Remember that nothing is impossible with Jesus.
Ok, I'm having trouble with this blogger thing. Everytime I submit or try to change anything, it keeps erasing my entry. And it sucks because I have autosave on and it keeps saving my erased entry. I tried control z and it's not working. This is annoying me. So I'm going to save this right now and if you read this and this blog isn't complete, that's because I'm saving and publishing as I go.
I'm having a rough day and a rough week. Really bad. I don't know what it is but it's driving me nuts. It also does not help that this blogger thing is erasing every entry I put in. I wrote an entry this morning that was very very long. All gone. Tried again an hour ago. Erased again. This is driving me up the wall. So sorry if this entry seems rather poor.
Again my week has been rough. It started off really busy then I started not understanding things, I started falling behind, I started pulling all nighters trying to understand stuff, and yea. Not a good week. I'm actually not even happy that it's over because I know I have a lot of catch-up work to do right now. *sigh*
I just came back from Small Group and honestly I'm really tired from it. It's been really hard today for some reason. Maybe it's my attitude coming into the Bible Study? I don't know it was just really frustrating this entire day. I need to put an end to this day. Forgive me for sounding angry. But I am. :(
Jesus Feeds The Five Thousand
Reading: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%2014:13-21;&version=31;
This reading is very popular but that doesn't mean we need to go deeply into it. It's the story of how Jesus used loaves of bread and fish and turned it into enough food to feed five thousand people.
The reading starts off from last time, when John the Baptist was beheaded. Having heard this Jesus sought after a quiet place. Now that's really cool. Not cool because John died, but because Jesus shows that He actually cares for us. Not many other religions can say the same thing. Jesus shows that He is mourning in a sense and really prays for John. Knowing this I feel a little more comfortable because I know Jesus has my back. Thanks Jesus.
The people in the towns decided to follow Jesus all the way. Seeing that they had faith and wanted to follow Him, Jesus healed the sick. Then it got very late and the disciples worried for the crowd. He told Jesus to send them back to their towns so they can get something to eat. However, Jesus told them to have the people stay. They found among them five loaves of bread and two fish. Jesus said it was sufficient and distributed the loaves of bread. The entire crowd, five thousand people, was fed.
Now how does this work? I have no idea. But that's not important. The important thing is to note that Jesus can work with anything, no matter how small. So we may feel insignificant or useless, but believe it or not, Jesus has a use for us. All of us. Remember that nothing is impossible with Jesus.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
John The Baptist, a Martyr
Matthew 14:1-12
Yet, I failed again to upload my blog by 12 o'clock last night. Sorry about that. I had a homework assignment that took forever. I actually didn't even finish it and ended up having to give up on it. I'm so lazy with assignments these days. I need help. I need to motivate myself to start these assignments a little earlier and complete them before the night BEFORE the day it's due. That's my goal from here on out. Keep me in check guys. Thanks.
I had my first oral progress report for my senior design today that was really really tough. Though a lot of the people told me they experienced the same thing, I felt like I was being pushed. In the end I didn't even realize that I spent 10 minutes talking with my professor. You're supposed to spend 5 minutes explaining your research and your project and leave 5 minutes for the professors to ask you any questions. However, they ended up asking only one question and I spent the other 9 talking. I have no idea if that's good or bad, but I ended up feeling depressed the entire day.
John The Baptist Beheaded
Michelangelo Merisis da Caravaggio, "The Beheading Of John The Baptist"
The passage today was rather grim. Remember John the Baptist from before? Well this was about his death. Reports came to Herod about how John was associated with Jesus and that he was able to perform miracles because John was risen from the dead. Herod was the one that kept John in jail because John told Herod that it was unlawful to have Herodias, Philips's wife. Herod felt angered and threw John in jail. Herod was not able to kill John, however, because he was afraid of what the reaction from the crowd may be. Many of the people thought of John as a prophet, and Herod was afraid of that.
Then on the night of Herod's birthday, the daughter of Herodias danced for the crowd and it pleased Herod a lot. Herod told her that he would grant her with an oath. When asked, the daughter replied that she wanted the head of John the Baptist on a platter. This was prompted by her mother, Herodias. The king was distressed, but because he had made an oath, he had John beheaded and put on a platter for the daughter. The daughter gave the head to her mother.
In the end Jesus's disciples buried John's body and told Jesus what had happened.
This story is very tragic in the sense that John really didn't do anything wrong but tell Herod that what he had done was wrong. Herodias was somebody else's wife, yet Herod decided to keep her next to him. While Herod didn't kill John immediately, somehow this had angered Herodias. Perhaps she wanted to live in the riches that Herod provided for her. Regardless , John was a servant of God and it's very tragic to hear of his death. He has done much for the kingdom of God and yet his life was taken away for nothing. He is a martyr and it's always to take in stories of martyrs.
In the end, would we be able to do the same for God? Are we not afraid of anything and willing to work for God not knowing what the end may be like? Death can come to us unfairly and our heads may end up being a gift to somebody else. Yet, are we still able to serve and follow. Remember what Jesus had told us before. We need to be able to take the cross and follow Him. Or we are not recognized by God. I think that's the scarier path.
On a side note, it's interesting to note that the death of John is recognized by churches around the world. I wiki'd for some information about his death and found the following churches have services for his death:
-Roman Catholic Church has a feast called "Martyrdom of St. John The Baptist" on August 29
-Church Of England and other Anglican Communion groups have a feast called "The Beheading Of John The Baptist" on August 29
-Eastern Orthodox and Byzantine Catholic - fast on August 29
-Armenian Apostolic Church - celebrates Decollation of St. John on Saturday of Easter Week
-Many other churches have other traditions as well recognizing martyrs. Let's pray for them.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
No Miracles At Home
Matthew 13:53-58
Ok so I lied. I couldn't make the entry before 12 o'clock. I'm actually in a very bad state right now. I am sleep deprived beyond belief. All night I've been making preparations for my senior design presentation, completing a prelab that I just couldn't figure out, and complaining about the amount of workload I have already. It's still Wednesday for me. I don't even know what I'm doing right now. I'm so tired. *sigh*
A Prophet Without Honor
Reading: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%2013:53-58;&version=31;
After delivering the message and explaning the parables, many of the people still doubted Jesus. They were questioning how he received such powers. They remembered that he's the son of a carpenter. He has a mother named Mary and he even has brothers and sisters. Yet Jesus is able to perform miracles. They wondered how this was possible and questioned him. They even took offense.
Jesus replied that it is only in his hometown that a prophet is not honored. They do not realize his powers because He is a commoner to them. He did not perform any miracles that day because of their lack of faith.
It's very saddening to hear that the very place Jesus comes from is the town that lacks a lot of faith. They do not recognize Jesus as a prophet because to them it's not possible. He's just like you and me. Isn't this so true with anyone we know? For instance, when we look at a celebrity, we are in awe. We distance ourselves and admire them for who they are. Yet, say it's a celebrity that you once knew when you were little. Now it's not so great. You know his weaknesses, you know his faults. It's not the same. The same is going on here in Jesus' hometown. While many people outside are in awe of the wonderful things Jesus is able to accomplish, the people from his hometown does not. They lack faith. Thus, Jesus does not perform any miracles.
I don't know what kind of daily lesson we can obtain from this. Maybe not be born in the same town as Jesus? LOL. Maybe it's the fact that regardless of how close you may feel to Jesus, if you don't have faith, it means nothing. You need to have faith in Him. Jesus does not play favorites. We need to believe in Him.
Ok so I lied. I couldn't make the entry before 12 o'clock. I'm actually in a very bad state right now. I am sleep deprived beyond belief. All night I've been making preparations for my senior design presentation, completing a prelab that I just couldn't figure out, and complaining about the amount of workload I have already. It's still Wednesday for me. I don't even know what I'm doing right now. I'm so tired. *sigh*
A Prophet Without Honor
Reading: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%2013:53-58;&version=31;
After delivering the message and explaning the parables, many of the people still doubted Jesus. They were questioning how he received such powers. They remembered that he's the son of a carpenter. He has a mother named Mary and he even has brothers and sisters. Yet Jesus is able to perform miracles. They wondered how this was possible and questioned him. They even took offense.
Jesus replied that it is only in his hometown that a prophet is not honored. They do not realize his powers because He is a commoner to them. He did not perform any miracles that day because of their lack of faith.
It's very saddening to hear that the very place Jesus comes from is the town that lacks a lot of faith. They do not recognize Jesus as a prophet because to them it's not possible. He's just like you and me. Isn't this so true with anyone we know? For instance, when we look at a celebrity, we are in awe. We distance ourselves and admire them for who they are. Yet, say it's a celebrity that you once knew when you were little. Now it's not so great. You know his weaknesses, you know his faults. It's not the same. The same is going on here in Jesus' hometown. While many people outside are in awe of the wonderful things Jesus is able to accomplish, the people from his hometown does not. They lack faith. Thus, Jesus does not perform any miracles.
I don't know what kind of daily lesson we can obtain from this. Maybe not be born in the same town as Jesus? LOL. Maybe it's the fact that regardless of how close you may feel to Jesus, if you don't have faith, it means nothing. You need to have faith in Him. Jesus does not play favorites. We need to believe in Him.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Kingdom Of Heaven
Matthew 13:44-52
I'm getting slower and slower with these blogs and so I apologize. Last night I was at the library till very late and didn't come home till about 3 and fell asleep. So I'm actually writing this blog in the morning the next day. I promise I'll put an entry in before 12 today for today's entry.
It was a tough day with a lot of work. I feel so behind these days. I need to be able to manage my time a little better. I have a lot of assignments due and a lot of work to do in the weeks to come. It's going to be exciting.
The Parable Of The Hidden Treasure And The Pearl
Reading: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%2013:44-46;&version=31;
This parable is very beautiful. The first part is about how a man finds a treasure in the field and he hides and and sells all his possessions to buy the entire field for that treasure. This is telling us how valuable the kingdom is. The treasure represents the kingdom. It's so valuable that the man will be willing to sell all his possessions for this treasure. The second is similar in that a man finds a valuable pearl and sells all of his possessions to buy the pearl.
The kingdom is something that we will be willing to give up everything for. I think that this parable, while simple, shows us how valuable it actually is. Nothing comes before God. No great possession, no great person. The kingdom is something that we will all long for.
The Parable Of The Net
Reading: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%2013:47-52;&version=31;
The other parable read today is about how the kingdom is like a net that is let down to catch fish. It will catch both good and bad fish. In the end it will let go of the bad ones and only take the good ones. This is representative of what will happen at the end of time. The good ones are the ones that will enter the kingdom of God and the bad ones are the ones that will be forgotten and be sent to the fiery furnace, aka hell.
Then Jesus asks if the crowd has understood the parables and said that whoever heard the parables about the kingdom of heaven will be willing to let go of his treasures, both old and new.
What's important about these parables is the last part. We need to understand that once we understand what the kingdom of heaven is like, we should be able to let go of all our treasures.
I'm getting slower and slower with these blogs and so I apologize. Last night I was at the library till very late and didn't come home till about 3 and fell asleep. So I'm actually writing this blog in the morning the next day. I promise I'll put an entry in before 12 today for today's entry.
It was a tough day with a lot of work. I feel so behind these days. I need to be able to manage my time a little better. I have a lot of assignments due and a lot of work to do in the weeks to come. It's going to be exciting.
The Parable Of The Hidden Treasure And The Pearl
Reading: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%2013:44-46;&version=31;
This parable is very beautiful. The first part is about how a man finds a treasure in the field and he hides and and sells all his possessions to buy the entire field for that treasure. This is telling us how valuable the kingdom is. The treasure represents the kingdom. It's so valuable that the man will be willing to sell all his possessions for this treasure. The second is similar in that a man finds a valuable pearl and sells all of his possessions to buy the pearl.
The kingdom is something that we will be willing to give up everything for. I think that this parable, while simple, shows us how valuable it actually is. Nothing comes before God. No great possession, no great person. The kingdom is something that we will all long for.
The Parable Of The Net
Reading: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%2013:47-52;&version=31;
The other parable read today is about how the kingdom is like a net that is let down to catch fish. It will catch both good and bad fish. In the end it will let go of the bad ones and only take the good ones. This is representative of what will happen at the end of time. The good ones are the ones that will enter the kingdom of God and the bad ones are the ones that will be forgotten and be sent to the fiery furnace, aka hell.
Then Jesus asks if the crowd has understood the parables and said that whoever heard the parables about the kingdom of heaven will be willing to let go of his treasures, both old and new.
What's important about these parables is the last part. We need to understand that once we understand what the kingdom of heaven is like, we should be able to let go of all our treasures.
Monday, February 2, 2009
Tares Among Wheat
Matthew 13:24-43
Finally another Monday has passed. Mondays are slowly getting harder to get by as the work load starts to pile on. I'm actually beginning to feel like I'm getting behind in some of the classes and that's not a great feeling to have. I have so many things I need to do on my agenda so I'll try to make my blog on my day a little short for today. Classes were good and the day went great. The weather wasn't too bad and I had a lot of homework. LOL The End. Onto my entry...
Tares Among Wheat
Reading: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%2013:24-30;&version=31;
Reading: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%2013:36-43;&version=31;
I used the NASB version (the Bible I own) for this entry because I think the word "tares" may mean more than just weeds. Basically Jesus tells us another parable in which a man sows good seed in his field, but an enemy comes along and plants these "tares" in them as well. Then the landowner finds that the wheat and the tares are growing together. After being asked whether or not to take out the tares, the man says no. He will take care of them after they both grow. Then he will burn up the tares.
In order to go with this Jesus actually gives an explanation to this parable (in verses 36-43). Basically He states that the one who sows the seeds is the Son of Man, the field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, and the tares are the sons of the evil. The owns that sowed the tares is the evil one. When the time comes the tares will be gathered up and they will be burnt. This is Jesus telling us the future.
Now while the parables may seems somewhat easy to understand, this is a very important message telling us about what is to come. This may in fact be the first time Jesus tells us about what will happen in the armaggedon. This parable is a very good metaphor about what is to come. The first thing I want to go over is how the man sowed the good seeds in the field. It says that the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, meaning the ones that will be in heaven with God. So does that mean that we are all chosen from the start? One may think this and furthermore support the talk about predestination. But it's very hard to just assume that I think. I just thought it was interesting that Jesus explains this concept though.
The evil one, or Satan, then plants the tares. Now it says weeds in other translations, but I wanted say tares because in my translation, it's basically tares among wheat. Tares supposedly looks like wheat. That may be important, or I may just be overanalyzing. But what I got out of it is that it will be hard to distinguish the two. Here's a picture of what this may look like. I typed up wheat and tares and got a picture labeled "wheat among tares." I don't know what the picture is for, but regardless this is what it looks like:
Then Jesus says not to remove the tares seeds and rather wait till the end of time. When that happens all of the tares will be removed and burnt in the furnace of fire. This is a very clear message saying that all those belonging to the evil one will not have any sympathy. While they may seem like they are prospering with the other good seeds, when the time comes, they will be destroyed. I think this is very interesting to note.
The Mustard Seed and Leaven
Reading: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%2013:31-35;&version=31;
This next parable is about what heaven will be like Jesus explains how it is like the mustard seed because while it may be small at the start, it will grow out and become a tree in which the birds will come and nest in the branches. I understand the part about how at the end it will be bigger and will house even birds. The kingdom of God will ultimately become something that is bigger than anything. But why the small part? Perhaps because other sins will seem bigger and better at the start. At first sight the sins of the world will probably seem more promising. We may get tricked into it. But in the end, the mustard seed will prevail and become bigger than anything else.
The parable about the leaven is basically about how the kingdom of God will be something that will be able to mix with the dough and work through all the dough. What I get from this picture is that the kingdom of God will be able to cover all aspects of our lives and eventually embody everything.
Finally another Monday has passed. Mondays are slowly getting harder to get by as the work load starts to pile on. I'm actually beginning to feel like I'm getting behind in some of the classes and that's not a great feeling to have. I have so many things I need to do on my agenda so I'll try to make my blog on my day a little short for today. Classes were good and the day went great. The weather wasn't too bad and I had a lot of homework. LOL The End. Onto my entry...
Tares Among Wheat
Reading: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%2013:24-30;&version=31;
Reading: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%2013:36-43;&version=31;
I used the NASB version (the Bible I own) for this entry because I think the word "tares" may mean more than just weeds. Basically Jesus tells us another parable in which a man sows good seed in his field, but an enemy comes along and plants these "tares" in them as well. Then the landowner finds that the wheat and the tares are growing together. After being asked whether or not to take out the tares, the man says no. He will take care of them after they both grow. Then he will burn up the tares.
In order to go with this Jesus actually gives an explanation to this parable (in verses 36-43). Basically He states that the one who sows the seeds is the Son of Man, the field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, and the tares are the sons of the evil. The owns that sowed the tares is the evil one. When the time comes the tares will be gathered up and they will be burnt. This is Jesus telling us the future.
Now while the parables may seems somewhat easy to understand, this is a very important message telling us about what is to come. This may in fact be the first time Jesus tells us about what will happen in the armaggedon. This parable is a very good metaphor about what is to come. The first thing I want to go over is how the man sowed the good seeds in the field. It says that the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, meaning the ones that will be in heaven with God. So does that mean that we are all chosen from the start? One may think this and furthermore support the talk about predestination. But it's very hard to just assume that I think. I just thought it was interesting that Jesus explains this concept though.
The evil one, or Satan, then plants the tares. Now it says weeds in other translations, but I wanted say tares because in my translation, it's basically tares among wheat. Tares supposedly looks like wheat. That may be important, or I may just be overanalyzing. But what I got out of it is that it will be hard to distinguish the two. Here's a picture of what this may look like. I typed up wheat and tares and got a picture labeled "wheat among tares." I don't know what the picture is for, but regardless this is what it looks like:
Then Jesus says not to remove the tares seeds and rather wait till the end of time. When that happens all of the tares will be removed and burnt in the furnace of fire. This is a very clear message saying that all those belonging to the evil one will not have any sympathy. While they may seem like they are prospering with the other good seeds, when the time comes, they will be destroyed. I think this is very interesting to note.The Mustard Seed and Leaven
Reading: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%2013:31-35;&version=31;
This next parable is about what heaven will be like Jesus explains how it is like the mustard seed because while it may be small at the start, it will grow out and become a tree in which the birds will come and nest in the branches. I understand the part about how at the end it will be bigger and will house even birds. The kingdom of God will ultimately become something that is bigger than anything. But why the small part? Perhaps because other sins will seem bigger and better at the start. At first sight the sins of the world will probably seem more promising. We may get tricked into it. But in the end, the mustard seed will prevail and become bigger than anything else.
The parable about the leaven is basically about how the kingdom of God will be something that will be able to mix with the dough and work through all the dough. What I get from this picture is that the kingdom of God will be able to cover all aspects of our lives and eventually embody everything.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Which Seed Are You?
Matthew 13:1-23
I slept so much last night it's ridiculous. I think I slept a total of 11 hours. Is that even possible? I don't know what it was but I couldn't even wake up. Good thing I didn't have a whole lot to do. I ended up having to do a lot of work in between classes, but they weren't that big of a deal. But 11 hours!!! I'm like tired from sleeping, if any of you guys know what that feels like.
Today was cold and as I was bundling up, I decided, man I need to start working out. I haven't done so in a while and my excuse was the cold. It's too much of a hassle going out to go work out. But I will do it starting tomorrow. This is all for the better. So if you see me this week, ask me if I worked out today so I can feel guilty if I didn't. Another thing I have to work on is managing money. I have been eating out way too much since the semester started. I need to do less of that.
Parable of the Sower
Reading: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%2013:1-23;&version=31;
The reading today is a popular one. That does not mean it should not be studied. In fact, we probably have to look into it deeper. And so I wanted to cover only this parable for today.
The first thing to cover is the question the crowd had. When Jesus spoke, He spoke in parables. And this was rather confusing to them. By the way, before I continue, I do want to raise a question about Jesus speaking from the boat. I heard from someone that this was rather strategic because the wind blows towards the shore and so if Jesus stood on the boat and the crowd on shore, that would have carried His voice to more people. That's what I thought it was, I just needed some verification on that. This isn't anything important though.
Jesus gives us an answer as to why He speaks in such a fashion. Those who have the ears, the eyes, and the heart will understand His message, regardless of how He delivers it. He can be speaking in some funky language and those who receive Him will still understand it. It is a secret of heaven, as He states. Thus, if we truly understand His word and live to it, then we'll know why. He then praises those who are able to do this because there are even teachers of the law that want this gift. Do we understand and hear to this extent? That gives me all the more reason to look deeper into these parables and not just take them for stories that give us a life lesson. Jesus has a valuable secret embedded in them. I hope I can understand them the way He wanted us to.
The parable then. This parable about the seeds is rather simple, but in no way does that take anything away from His point of it. Basically He lists four types of listeners to His word. I make a list here with description:
1.) Seed On Path - These are listeners who listen to the word, but do not understand it. Thus, when some evil comes along, they lose it.
2.) Seed On Rocky Soil - These are listeners who listen to the word and accept it with joy. However, their roots are shallow and their foundation is weak. Thus, any troubles they face make them lose it.
3.) Seed Amongst Thorns - These are listeners who listen to the word, accept it, and understand it. Yet, they are choked with worries and other values in life. Thus, they produce bad fruit.
4.) Seed On Good Soil - These are listeners who listen to the word, accept it, and understand it. They live by it and produce good fruit.
Now it is a no-brainer on what we should strive to be, and that's the 4th one. The question though is where are we at, and how do we get to 4? I went through each scenario and thought about what I could do. I also thought of some people I love and cherish in my life that may fall into some of these categories and prayed that they can make the necessary changes so they can make it to 4. Here's what I thought:
1.) Seed On Path - Again these are people who hear the word and lose it to evil because they don't fully understand it. I think for the most part these include people who have not yet accepted Christ. They can be atheists, agnostics, or even people who kind of believe in God, but more on the "not" side. I think the important thing to do here is to find out more and more about it. I think the first thing I would do is read. There is no risk in it other than time, really. If it mattered to you this much, though, then I don't see an excuse in it. Reading the Bible is one of the biggest things you can possibly do. After I've read and seen why Christians make a big deal out of it, then I study it. You cannot argue against it if you don't know anything about it. That goes both ways by the way. You cannot defend it if you don't know anything about it either. So please, just read it. It won't hurt, I promise. Hopefully it will help in getting to the right direction.
2.) Seed On Rocky Soil - People who accept it gladly at first, but lose it because of the lack of foundation. This one is a struggle and it may even be the most popular one. But the solution is rather simple I think. Study. Really. Study. The only reason I can see for the lack of foundation is because we don't know anything to build that foundation. It is tough to build a foundation when all you do is go to church on Sunday, receive the word, be happy you received it, then the next day you're back to being lost. Make an effort. Build a foundation on rocks so it may endure the troubles and the word you so gladly accepted will remain with you.
3.) Seed Amongst Thorns - These are people who accept the word and understand it. Yet, struggles, worries, and other values conflict with it. And thus, we cannot produce the good fruit that we need to produce. As a seed amongst thorns, you probably love God and praise God, but so many other things in life hinder us. I can't find an easy solution to this really other than to put all our faith in God. All our worries will be taken care of. We really need a strong foundation and a strong faith. We really need to be able to trust that God will take care of things and all we need to do is what we're told.
Which seed am I? I would have to say a mix of 2 and 3. I've been the second one for quite some time (especially all throughout jr. high and high school) but have found a joy in reading the word. I still struggle though and am in the middle of building that strong foundation needed to fight the good fight. Worries are quite common amongst people at my age. With the economy being crappy and my future unclear, it is so easy to be in those thorns. It's tough. I admit it. But that's why I need to keep learning and praying. I hope to make more progress.
Summary:
Parable Of The Sower
1-2 Jesus sat on a boat to speak to the crowd because the crowd so large. He spoke in parables.
3-9 He said a farmer sowed his seed and some went fell on the path, where birds ate them, some fell on rocky soil, where it sprang up quickly because of the lack of soil and then withered because they had no roots, some fell among thorns, where the plants choked, and some fell on good soil, where it produced good crop. He told everyone to listen.
10-14 The crowd asked why He spoke in parables. Jesus replied that the secrets have been given and whoever has them will keep them while those who don't will lose what they have. They do not truly see or hear. This is part of the prophecy of Isaiah.
15-17 Jesus said that because the people have shut their ears and eyes, their hearts have been calloused. If they did opened their ears and eyes they would have understood with their hearts and been healed by Him.
18-23 Jesus describes His parable. The seeds on the path are those who listen to the word and don't understand it. Thus, the evil takes it away. The seeds on the rocky soil receive the word gratefully, but don't have a root deep enough to keep it. The seeds amongst thorns receive the word but worries of life make it unfruitful. The ones on good soil take the word, understand it, and produce good.
I slept so much last night it's ridiculous. I think I slept a total of 11 hours. Is that even possible? I don't know what it was but I couldn't even wake up. Good thing I didn't have a whole lot to do. I ended up having to do a lot of work in between classes, but they weren't that big of a deal. But 11 hours!!! I'm like tired from sleeping, if any of you guys know what that feels like.
Today was cold and as I was bundling up, I decided, man I need to start working out. I haven't done so in a while and my excuse was the cold. It's too much of a hassle going out to go work out. But I will do it starting tomorrow. This is all for the better. So if you see me this week, ask me if I worked out today so I can feel guilty if I didn't. Another thing I have to work on is managing money. I have been eating out way too much since the semester started. I need to do less of that.
Parable of the Sower
Reading: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%2013:1-23;&version=31;
The reading today is a popular one. That does not mean it should not be studied. In fact, we probably have to look into it deeper. And so I wanted to cover only this parable for today.
The first thing to cover is the question the crowd had. When Jesus spoke, He spoke in parables. And this was rather confusing to them. By the way, before I continue, I do want to raise a question about Jesus speaking from the boat. I heard from someone that this was rather strategic because the wind blows towards the shore and so if Jesus stood on the boat and the crowd on shore, that would have carried His voice to more people. That's what I thought it was, I just needed some verification on that. This isn't anything important though.
Jesus gives us an answer as to why He speaks in such a fashion. Those who have the ears, the eyes, and the heart will understand His message, regardless of how He delivers it. He can be speaking in some funky language and those who receive Him will still understand it. It is a secret of heaven, as He states. Thus, if we truly understand His word and live to it, then we'll know why. He then praises those who are able to do this because there are even teachers of the law that want this gift. Do we understand and hear to this extent? That gives me all the more reason to look deeper into these parables and not just take them for stories that give us a life lesson. Jesus has a valuable secret embedded in them. I hope I can understand them the way He wanted us to.
The parable then. This parable about the seeds is rather simple, but in no way does that take anything away from His point of it. Basically He lists four types of listeners to His word. I make a list here with description:
1.) Seed On Path - These are listeners who listen to the word, but do not understand it. Thus, when some evil comes along, they lose it.
2.) Seed On Rocky Soil - These are listeners who listen to the word and accept it with joy. However, their roots are shallow and their foundation is weak. Thus, any troubles they face make them lose it.
3.) Seed Amongst Thorns - These are listeners who listen to the word, accept it, and understand it. Yet, they are choked with worries and other values in life. Thus, they produce bad fruit.
4.) Seed On Good Soil - These are listeners who listen to the word, accept it, and understand it. They live by it and produce good fruit.
Now it is a no-brainer on what we should strive to be, and that's the 4th one. The question though is where are we at, and how do we get to 4? I went through each scenario and thought about what I could do. I also thought of some people I love and cherish in my life that may fall into some of these categories and prayed that they can make the necessary changes so they can make it to 4. Here's what I thought:
1.) Seed On Path - Again these are people who hear the word and lose it to evil because they don't fully understand it. I think for the most part these include people who have not yet accepted Christ. They can be atheists, agnostics, or even people who kind of believe in God, but more on the "not" side. I think the important thing to do here is to find out more and more about it. I think the first thing I would do is read. There is no risk in it other than time, really. If it mattered to you this much, though, then I don't see an excuse in it. Reading the Bible is one of the biggest things you can possibly do. After I've read and seen why Christians make a big deal out of it, then I study it. You cannot argue against it if you don't know anything about it. That goes both ways by the way. You cannot defend it if you don't know anything about it either. So please, just read it. It won't hurt, I promise. Hopefully it will help in getting to the right direction.
2.) Seed On Rocky Soil - People who accept it gladly at first, but lose it because of the lack of foundation. This one is a struggle and it may even be the most popular one. But the solution is rather simple I think. Study. Really. Study. The only reason I can see for the lack of foundation is because we don't know anything to build that foundation. It is tough to build a foundation when all you do is go to church on Sunday, receive the word, be happy you received it, then the next day you're back to being lost. Make an effort. Build a foundation on rocks so it may endure the troubles and the word you so gladly accepted will remain with you.
3.) Seed Amongst Thorns - These are people who accept the word and understand it. Yet, struggles, worries, and other values conflict with it. And thus, we cannot produce the good fruit that we need to produce. As a seed amongst thorns, you probably love God and praise God, but so many other things in life hinder us. I can't find an easy solution to this really other than to put all our faith in God. All our worries will be taken care of. We really need a strong foundation and a strong faith. We really need to be able to trust that God will take care of things and all we need to do is what we're told.
Which seed am I? I would have to say a mix of 2 and 3. I've been the second one for quite some time (especially all throughout jr. high and high school) but have found a joy in reading the word. I still struggle though and am in the middle of building that strong foundation needed to fight the good fight. Worries are quite common amongst people at my age. With the economy being crappy and my future unclear, it is so easy to be in those thorns. It's tough. I admit it. But that's why I need to keep learning and praying. I hope to make more progress.
Summary:
Parable Of The Sower
1-2 Jesus sat on a boat to speak to the crowd because the crowd so large. He spoke in parables.
3-9 He said a farmer sowed his seed and some went fell on the path, where birds ate them, some fell on rocky soil, where it sprang up quickly because of the lack of soil and then withered because they had no roots, some fell among thorns, where the plants choked, and some fell on good soil, where it produced good crop. He told everyone to listen.
10-14 The crowd asked why He spoke in parables. Jesus replied that the secrets have been given and whoever has them will keep them while those who don't will lose what they have. They do not truly see or hear. This is part of the prophecy of Isaiah.
15-17 Jesus said that because the people have shut their ears and eyes, their hearts have been calloused. If they did opened their ears and eyes they would have understood with their hearts and been healed by Him.
18-23 Jesus describes His parable. The seeds on the path are those who listen to the word and don't understand it. Thus, the evil takes it away. The seeds on the rocky soil receive the word gratefully, but don't have a root deep enough to keep it. The seeds amongst thorns receive the word but worries of life make it unfruitful. The ones on good soil take the word, understand it, and produce good.
Monday, January 26, 2009
Driving Out Satan
Matthew 12: 22-50
Happy Year of the Ox! I don't really celebrate Chinese New Years, but being in Chinese 202, I pretty much have been hearing about this day since the beginning of the semester. In any case, I wish your year of the ox will be full of goodness. Oh and if you do celebrate it and received a red envelope full of money, keep in mind that I am a pretty poor hungry college student (keyword: hungry). :)
Anyways it's Monday and you all know what that means. AUGGGHHH. Yea, well my Monday has been nothing special other than the fact that I've been on campus since 8:30. Exhilarating, I know. Has anyone read the Exponent today (it's the Purdue newspaper, for those in Cali) ? I found that article about the RIAA pretty interesting.
Jesus And Beelzebub
Reading: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%2012:22-37;&version=31;
Jesus attacks the Pharisees indirectly for the first time here. Throughout Jesus's journey, the Pharisees has kept close watch and nit-picked on every little detail. Finally the Pharisees referred Jesus as Beelzebub, and Jesus spoke out to prove them wrong. And He makes a strong point with a rather simple logic.
A kingdom will be destroyed if it is divided against itself. In other words, if the people in the kingdom is fighting against others in the same kingdom, then the kingdom will struggle and eventually struggle; it will be an internal breakdown. So, if what the Pharisees says is right and Jesus is Beelzebub, or Satan, then why would He drive out demons. Demons are Satan's tools. Driving them out will be countering what Satan stands for. Thus, it will cause a division and an eventual fall to Satan's kingdom. Thus, it can't be true. Thus, Jesus driving demons out is actually bring the Kingdom of God to the people. If He didn't, then who would take care of the demons? They would prevail and take
over. Sounds pretty simple. No? Maybe His second example will help.
You cannot rob a house of a strong man's without tying up the strong man. Makes sense right? Like if you one day thought about robbing Arnold Schwarzenegger, you'd have to do something to him first. Otherwise, you'd die. So if God was to take over Satan, then He'd have to do something with the demons. Hence, Jesus is driving them out.
Jesus then makes a strong statement about blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. He says that we will be judged by what we say. A man who is evil produces evil and says evil. This person cannot enter the kingdom. Thus, we need to be a good tree that produces good fruit. We need to really watch what we're saying. Sometimes that means saying very little. And that's advocated in the Bible. We must be people of very few words. That's my challenge to you today.
The Sign Of Jonah
Reading: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%2012:38-45;&version=31;
When the Pharisees ask for a miracle, Jesus replies with statement about how wicked their generation was. This statement is rather difficult to follow, but the gist of it is in the fact that the people are so wicked that no matter what miracles may come, it will not help them.
Jesus gives them the sign of Jonah, as the name suggests. He says that the people that listened to Jonah and Solomon will condemn them for they are evil. The second part of His answer is even scarier. He says that even if a miracle is performed an the evil is driven out of the man, the evil will return to the man because the man will not have prepared his body to prevent it. Thus, the evil will return to the body, only stronger than before. Thus, the men will be worse. That's the condition they will be in.
What can we get from this answer? The message was rather difficult to follow for me and even harder for me to relate to my life. But I think the important thing is to not be like the Pharisees. They are there nitpicking and testing Jesus. They want a full 100% proof before accepting Him. And the answer He gives them is that no matter what He does, it will not help them because they are already so shut-in. We have to make sure that this doesn't happen to us. I find myself doubting Him a lot too and almost testing Him. But if He did send a sign or miracle, will I be able to then prepare my body to prevent all evil? Or am I just as bad as these Pharisees, where nothing will help our cause...
Jesus' Mother and Brothers
Reading: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%2012:46-50;&version=31;
It is great to hear, then, that if we're not like the Pharisees, we can be Jesus' mother, brothers, and sisters. He says that whoever does the will of the Father in heaven will be one. The choice really is ours.
Summary:
Jesus And Beelzebub
22-24 Jesus healed a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute and people wondered if He was the Son of Davis. The Pharisees said He was Beelzebub, the prince of demons.
25-29 Jesus says that a kingdom, city, or household divided against itself will be ruined. In the same sense, if Satan drove out Satan, he would be divided. Jesus driving out demons by the Spirit of God means the kingdom of God has come upon them. He gives one more explanation. How can someone rob a strong man's house without tying up the strong man.
30-32 Jesus declares that anyone who is not with Him is against Him. He says the sins will be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Spirt will not.
33- 37 Jesus says to make a tree good and the fruits will be good. So anyone who is evil cannot produce good. He also makes a statement about the words that we speak for it is by a man's words the man will be condemned.
The Sign Of Jonah
38-39 The Pharisees asked for a miraculous sign, but Jesus did not give it to them. Instead He gave them the sing of Jonah.
40-42 He says just as Jonah was in the belly of a fish, He will be in the heard of the earth. The men of Nineveh, who repented at Jonah's preaching, and Queen of the South, who listened to Solomon, will condemn the generation. Jesus is here and He is greater than both Jonah and Solomon.
43-45 Jesus says that once evil leaves a man it will not find a home and return back more evil than before. Thus, the man will be in worse condition. That is the state of the generation.
Jesus' Mother and Brothers
46-47 In the crowd, someone told Jesus that His mother and brothers were present and wanted to speak to Him.
48-50 Jesus then said that His mother and brothers were them, the disciples because whoever did the will of God was His brother, sister, and mother.
Happy Year of the Ox! I don't really celebrate Chinese New Years, but being in Chinese 202, I pretty much have been hearing about this day since the beginning of the semester. In any case, I wish your year of the ox will be full of goodness. Oh and if you do celebrate it and received a red envelope full of money, keep in mind that I am a pretty poor hungry college student (keyword: hungry). :)
Anyways it's Monday and you all know what that means. AUGGGHHH. Yea, well my Monday has been nothing special other than the fact that I've been on campus since 8:30. Exhilarating, I know. Has anyone read the Exponent today (it's the Purdue newspaper, for those in Cali) ? I found that article about the RIAA pretty interesting.
Jesus And Beelzebub
Reading: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%2012:22-37;&version=31;
Jesus attacks the Pharisees indirectly for the first time here. Throughout Jesus's journey, the Pharisees has kept close watch and nit-picked on every little detail. Finally the Pharisees referred Jesus as Beelzebub, and Jesus spoke out to prove them wrong. And He makes a strong point with a rather simple logic.
A kingdom will be destroyed if it is divided against itself. In other words, if the people in the kingdom is fighting against others in the same kingdom, then the kingdom will struggle and eventually struggle; it will be an internal breakdown. So, if what the Pharisees says is right and Jesus is Beelzebub, or Satan, then why would He drive out demons. Demons are Satan's tools. Driving them out will be countering what Satan stands for. Thus, it will cause a division and an eventual fall to Satan's kingdom. Thus, it can't be true. Thus, Jesus driving demons out is actually bring the Kingdom of God to the people. If He didn't, then who would take care of the demons? They would prevail and take
over. Sounds pretty simple. No? Maybe His second example will help.
You cannot rob a house of a strong man's without tying up the strong man. Makes sense right? Like if you one day thought about robbing Arnold Schwarzenegger, you'd have to do something to him first. Otherwise, you'd die. So if God was to take over Satan, then He'd have to do something with the demons. Hence, Jesus is driving them out.
Jesus then makes a strong statement about blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. He says that we will be judged by what we say. A man who is evil produces evil and says evil. This person cannot enter the kingdom. Thus, we need to be a good tree that produces good fruit. We need to really watch what we're saying. Sometimes that means saying very little. And that's advocated in the Bible. We must be people of very few words. That's my challenge to you today.
The Sign Of Jonah
Reading: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%2012:38-45;&version=31;
When the Pharisees ask for a miracle, Jesus replies with statement about how wicked their generation was. This statement is rather difficult to follow, but the gist of it is in the fact that the people are so wicked that no matter what miracles may come, it will not help them.
Jesus gives them the sign of Jonah, as the name suggests. He says that the people that listened to Jonah and Solomon will condemn them for they are evil. The second part of His answer is even scarier. He says that even if a miracle is performed an the evil is driven out of the man, the evil will return to the man because the man will not have prepared his body to prevent it. Thus, the evil will return to the body, only stronger than before. Thus, the men will be worse. That's the condition they will be in.
What can we get from this answer? The message was rather difficult to follow for me and even harder for me to relate to my life. But I think the important thing is to not be like the Pharisees. They are there nitpicking and testing Jesus. They want a full 100% proof before accepting Him. And the answer He gives them is that no matter what He does, it will not help them because they are already so shut-in. We have to make sure that this doesn't happen to us. I find myself doubting Him a lot too and almost testing Him. But if He did send a sign or miracle, will I be able to then prepare my body to prevent all evil? Or am I just as bad as these Pharisees, where nothing will help our cause...
Jesus' Mother and Brothers
Reading: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%2012:46-50;&version=31;
It is great to hear, then, that if we're not like the Pharisees, we can be Jesus' mother, brothers, and sisters. He says that whoever does the will of the Father in heaven will be one. The choice really is ours.
Summary:
Jesus And Beelzebub
22-24 Jesus healed a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute and people wondered if He was the Son of Davis. The Pharisees said He was Beelzebub, the prince of demons.
25-29 Jesus says that a kingdom, city, or household divided against itself will be ruined. In the same sense, if Satan drove out Satan, he would be divided. Jesus driving out demons by the Spirit of God means the kingdom of God has come upon them. He gives one more explanation. How can someone rob a strong man's house without tying up the strong man.
30-32 Jesus declares that anyone who is not with Him is against Him. He says the sins will be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Spirt will not.
33- 37 Jesus says to make a tree good and the fruits will be good. So anyone who is evil cannot produce good. He also makes a statement about the words that we speak for it is by a man's words the man will be condemned.
The Sign Of Jonah
38-39 The Pharisees asked for a miraculous sign, but Jesus did not give it to them. Instead He gave them the sing of Jonah.
40-42 He says just as Jonah was in the belly of a fish, He will be in the heard of the earth. The men of Nineveh, who repented at Jonah's preaching, and Queen of the South, who listened to Solomon, will condemn the generation. Jesus is here and He is greater than both Jonah and Solomon.
43-45 Jesus says that once evil leaves a man it will not find a home and return back more evil than before. Thus, the man will be in worse condition. That is the state of the generation.
Jesus' Mother and Brothers
46-47 In the crowd, someone told Jesus that His mother and brothers were present and wanted to speak to Him.
48-50 Jesus then said that His mother and brothers were them, the disciples because whoever did the will of God was His brother, sister, and mother.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Knowing What's Important
Matthew 12:1-21
Snow! Just when everyone thought it was getting warmer again, it started to snow. It snowed quite a bit. For some reason I was happy that it snowed. I guess it's kind of grown on me now. Church went great even if it was really cold in our sanctuary. After service I took a huge nap (more like sleep lol) and attempted to study. Keyword: attempt.
Well school is about to start again. This week is going to be significantly tougher than the weeks before in terms of workload. And what's up with these people starting school tomorrow for the first time this semester? Geez. I know it's Cal State Fullerton and you guys think you guys are special, but it's like the end of January. Anyways have a good first day.
Lord Of The Sabbath
Reading: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%2012:1-14;&version=31;
At this time of the Bible, Jesus has probably acquired a lot of fame. People all over the world are probably talking about Jesus and the miracles that He has performed. While He probably had a lot of followers, He probably produced just as many enemies. These enemies are probably out there nitpicking on every little detail trying to find a fault with Jesus. And this passage is one example of that.
The Day of Sabbath, or the holy day (aka Sunday), was observed by these Pharisees. They probably had a tradition of some sort that depicted what was in the law and made sure that everyone followed it. So when Jesus's disciples did something contrary to what they believed, they made a big deal out of it. Jesus's answer to this is one that basically states that such things are trivial in the grand scheme of things. Jesus is greater than the temples and whatever traditions and laws the Pharisees may follow. Jesus claims that He is the Son of God and the Lord of Sabbath.
When thinking about how this may relate to us, I think we can relate to it very well. What do we think of church? We make sure everything is under control, everyone is dressed, and things just look perfect. Now I'm not saying that any of this is bad. I think it's great. But when it becomes so important that we disregard the whole purpose of our being there, then it becomes a problem and we become no better than the Pharisees. The Pharisees did everything they were instructed to. But they were missing the point. Jesus is much greater than any of that. We need to keep that in mind.
When the man with the shriveled hand (don't know what exactly this is) asks if it is alright to heal on the day of Sabbath, Jesus answers that it is. We need to stop making such a big deal about what's right and what's wrong. They're important, yes, but not to the extent where we forget our purposes. In the end the Pharisees plotted to kill Jesus.
God's Chosen Servant
Reading: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%2012:15-21;&version=31;
This passage is rather simple and shows who Jesus is. God sent Jesus as His servant to bring justice to the nations. He was sent to heal the sick and give hope to the nations. He will lead justice to victory.
Summary:
Lord Of The Sabbath
1-2 Jesus and His disciples were in the grainfields on Sabbath and because they were hungry the disciples ate the grains. Pharisees called that it was unlawful.
3-8 Jesus replied that David and his men ate the consecrated bread, which is unlawful, and priests desecrate the day and yet are innocent. Jesus is greater than the temples and He told them they would not have condemned if they knew what mercy was.
9-14 In the synagogue a man with shriveled hands asked if it was lawful to heal on the day of Sabbath. Jesus replies that it is lawful to do good on the day of Sabbath. Jesus healed the man's hand. The Pharisees tried to plot on how to kill Jesus.
God's Chosen Servant
15-16 Jesus went away knowing about the plot and healed the sick. He told them not to say who He was. This was to fulfill a prophesy.
17 Jesus was a servant to bring justice to the nations. He will not quarrel or cry out, but will lead justice to victory. The nations will have hope through Him.
Snow! Just when everyone thought it was getting warmer again, it started to snow. It snowed quite a bit. For some reason I was happy that it snowed. I guess it's kind of grown on me now. Church went great even if it was really cold in our sanctuary. After service I took a huge nap (more like sleep lol) and attempted to study. Keyword: attempt.
Well school is about to start again. This week is going to be significantly tougher than the weeks before in terms of workload. And what's up with these people starting school tomorrow for the first time this semester? Geez. I know it's Cal State Fullerton and you guys think you guys are special, but it's like the end of January. Anyways have a good first day.
Lord Of The Sabbath
Reading: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%2012:1-14;&version=31;
At this time of the Bible, Jesus has probably acquired a lot of fame. People all over the world are probably talking about Jesus and the miracles that He has performed. While He probably had a lot of followers, He probably produced just as many enemies. These enemies are probably out there nitpicking on every little detail trying to find a fault with Jesus. And this passage is one example of that.
The Day of Sabbath, or the holy day (aka Sunday), was observed by these Pharisees. They probably had a tradition of some sort that depicted what was in the law and made sure that everyone followed it. So when Jesus's disciples did something contrary to what they believed, they made a big deal out of it. Jesus's answer to this is one that basically states that such things are trivial in the grand scheme of things. Jesus is greater than the temples and whatever traditions and laws the Pharisees may follow. Jesus claims that He is the Son of God and the Lord of Sabbath.
When thinking about how this may relate to us, I think we can relate to it very well. What do we think of church? We make sure everything is under control, everyone is dressed, and things just look perfect. Now I'm not saying that any of this is bad. I think it's great. But when it becomes so important that we disregard the whole purpose of our being there, then it becomes a problem and we become no better than the Pharisees. The Pharisees did everything they were instructed to. But they were missing the point. Jesus is much greater than any of that. We need to keep that in mind.
When the man with the shriveled hand (don't know what exactly this is) asks if it is alright to heal on the day of Sabbath, Jesus answers that it is. We need to stop making such a big deal about what's right and what's wrong. They're important, yes, but not to the extent where we forget our purposes. In the end the Pharisees plotted to kill Jesus.
God's Chosen Servant
Reading: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%2012:15-21;&version=31;
This passage is rather simple and shows who Jesus is. God sent Jesus as His servant to bring justice to the nations. He was sent to heal the sick and give hope to the nations. He will lead justice to victory.
Summary:
Lord Of The Sabbath
1-2 Jesus and His disciples were in the grainfields on Sabbath and because they were hungry the disciples ate the grains. Pharisees called that it was unlawful.
3-8 Jesus replied that David and his men ate the consecrated bread, which is unlawful, and priests desecrate the day and yet are innocent. Jesus is greater than the temples and He told them they would not have condemned if they knew what mercy was.
9-14 In the synagogue a man with shriveled hands asked if it was lawful to heal on the day of Sabbath. Jesus replies that it is lawful to do good on the day of Sabbath. Jesus healed the man's hand. The Pharisees tried to plot on how to kill Jesus.
God's Chosen Servant
15-16 Jesus went away knowing about the plot and healed the sick. He told them not to say who He was. This was to fulfill a prophesy.
17 Jesus was a servant to bring justice to the nations. He will not quarrel or cry out, but will lead justice to victory. The nations will have hope through Him.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Find Rest
Matthew 11:20-30
Saturday is already over. Weekends are just way too short. It's not fair. We had leader's meeting for church this morning and discussed what's to come. I'm excited for our retreat that will happen next weekend. I think it'll be a great start into the semester just before everyone starts to get busy. Hopefully it'll get everyone started in the right direction with the right intent. I do kind of want to talk about our Bible Study on Friday because I didn't really blog on Friday. It was the first Bible Study of this semester and I just wanted to put down my thoughts here. Mainly, things I need to work on. One thing I definitely want to get better at is challenging people more. Some questions are just way to easy and I struggle milking out more questions from them. I need to improve on generating more thought-provoking questions. Some people are just gifted with this; I'm not. If anyone has tips, that'd be awesome. I'll try to let you guys know how it's going along the way.
I tried to get some work done today, but I couldn't. I wasn't motivated enough. I opened the book, stared at it. Read the intro, and then stopped at the first equation. It wasn't going to happen. Went back home, and watched "The Godfather." The movie is just epic. And yes, I have never watched the movie till today. I actually watched both Parts I and II and ran out of energy to watch III. I have newfound respect for Al Pacino. Seriously I can't believe I haven't watched this movie before. But yea, that took up all of today. I don't regret it though. It might have even
been productive.
Woe To Unrepentant Cities
Reading: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%2011:20-24;&version=31;
This passage is really straightforward. You do not repent, then you will not be recognized. After all of the miracles Jesus has performed for these cities, they did not repent. For those that did, they will enter the kingdom of Heaven. He will pass judgment. So it is crucial for us to repent.
Rest For The Weary
Reading: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%2011:25-30;&version=31;
The first part of this reading is confusing. He thanks the Father for hiding "these things." It is unclear what these are. It might be the truth. What comes to mind is the apple in the Garden of Eden. All those things are hidden from us. And maybe Jesus is thanking for that? The other thing it could possibly be is what I read in 1 Corinthians 1:26-31,
"Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many of were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things--and the things that are not--to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God. --that is, our righteousness, holiness, and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: 'Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.'"
What I get from this passage is that the very thing he may have hidden is Jesus Christ. He gave us these lowly things. Many are happy with these things. Things like money, wealth, fame, etc. But something greater than that was hidden. And that's the wisdom of God. That's Jesus Christ. And He gave that to us little children. I don't know, that's what I thought.
The other part ot this reading is taking up His yoke. Now for those who don't know what a yoke is, here's a picture:
So we are to take up his yoke because it is easy and the burden is very light. We will find rest in Him. This is especially comforting. I know a lot of you have been stressing out. I know because of the IM's you have been giving me. Find rest in Jesus. It's the only way we can keep sane. It's a tough world out there. Especially now. Find rest in Him. His yoke is easy. :)
Summary:
Woe To The Unrepentant Cities
20-24 Jesus warns the cities Korazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum. They will have a tough day of judgment for not repenting. The cities that did repent will have a more bearable judgment.
Rest For The Weary
25-27 Jesus praises the Father for hiding things and revealed them to little children. He says no one knows the Son but the Father and nobody knows the Father but the Son and the people the Son chooses.
28-30 Jesus tells the weary and burdened to find rest in Him. He tells them to take his yoke and learn from Him. His yoke is easy and the burden is light.
Saturday is already over. Weekends are just way too short. It's not fair. We had leader's meeting for church this morning and discussed what's to come. I'm excited for our retreat that will happen next weekend. I think it'll be a great start into the semester just before everyone starts to get busy. Hopefully it'll get everyone started in the right direction with the right intent. I do kind of want to talk about our Bible Study on Friday because I didn't really blog on Friday. It was the first Bible Study of this semester and I just wanted to put down my thoughts here. Mainly, things I need to work on. One thing I definitely want to get better at is challenging people more. Some questions are just way to easy and I struggle milking out more questions from them. I need to improve on generating more thought-provoking questions. Some people are just gifted with this; I'm not. If anyone has tips, that'd be awesome. I'll try to let you guys know how it's going along the way.
been productive.
Woe To Unrepentant Cities
Reading: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%2011:20-24;&version=31;
This passage is really straightforward. You do not repent, then you will not be recognized. After all of the miracles Jesus has performed for these cities, they did not repent. For those that did, they will enter the kingdom of Heaven. He will pass judgment. So it is crucial for us to repent.
Rest For The Weary
Reading: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%2011:25-30;&version=31;
The first part of this reading is confusing. He thanks the Father for hiding "these things." It is unclear what these are. It might be the truth. What comes to mind is the apple in the Garden of Eden. All those things are hidden from us. And maybe Jesus is thanking for that? The other thing it could possibly be is what I read in 1 Corinthians 1:26-31,
"Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many of were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things--and the things that are not--to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God. --that is, our righteousness, holiness, and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: 'Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.'"
What I get from this passage is that the very thing he may have hidden is Jesus Christ. He gave us these lowly things. Many are happy with these things. Things like money, wealth, fame, etc. But something greater than that was hidden. And that's the wisdom of God. That's Jesus Christ. And He gave that to us little children. I don't know, that's what I thought.
The other part ot this reading is taking up His yoke. Now for those who don't know what a yoke is, here's a picture:
So we are to take up his yoke because it is easy and the burden is very light. We will find rest in Him. This is especially comforting. I know a lot of you have been stressing out. I know because of the IM's you have been giving me. Find rest in Jesus. It's the only way we can keep sane. It's a tough world out there. Especially now. Find rest in Him. His yoke is easy. :)Summary:
Woe To The Unrepentant Cities
20-24 Jesus warns the cities Korazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum. They will have a tough day of judgment for not repenting. The cities that did repent will have a more bearable judgment.
Rest For The Weary
25-27 Jesus praises the Father for hiding things and revealed them to little children. He says no one knows the Son but the Father and nobody knows the Father but the Son and the people the Son chooses.
28-30 Jesus tells the weary and burdened to find rest in Him. He tells them to take his yoke and learn from Him. His yoke is easy and the burden is light.
Friday, January 23, 2009
Jesus Defends Us
Matthew 11:1-19
I changed the post time for this one so that it matches for Friday.
Jesus And John The Baptist
This passage is pretty awesome. Not only because John the Baptist did awesome work for the kingdom and glory of God, but because of what Jesus said about him. Isn't it awesome that Jesus spoke so highly of a servant? Would he do the same with us? Absolutely. I believe it. I think that if we do the works of God, He will cherish us in the same way. Just look how protective He is of John. Jesus asks the crowd what they were expecting from John. He wasn't this crazy fashioned priest. He wasn't some guy claiming he could work wonders. He seemed like an ordinary human being. If anything he probably was worse. A couple entries back I said he probably looked like a beggar. Yet, he was the messenger that the scripture has foretold.
Jesus tries to reason out a little here. He says that John the Baptist came "neither eating nor drinking" yet people said he was possessed. Jesus comes "eating and drinking" and they accuse him of being a glutton or a drunkard. Isn't this precisely what we do? We make assumptions and judgements. We're overly observant, to the point where we create misconceptions. I think that we need to understand that God has given us so many signs, prophesies, and proofs. It's not the lack of them. It's us. We're the ones making faith so hard.
Summary:
Jesus And John The Baptist
1-6 Jesus went to Galilee to continue teaching. John the Baptist, while in prison, wanted to know if Jesus was truly the one. Jesus told the disciples to let him know of the miracles that occurred.
7-15 Jesus asked the crowd what they expected from John, for he was not one with great appearance. Yet Jesus said that he was more than a prophet, but a messenger. Through him the kingdom of God has been able to advance.
16-19 Jesus continues asking what the crowd was expecting. Regardless, wisdom prevailed.
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