Category: Matthew

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Ever Present – Ever Faithful

“The virgin will be pregnant and will give birth to a son. They will name him Immanuel.”(Immanuel means “God with us.”) Matthew 1:23

” But the Lord will still give you proof. A virgin is pregnant; she will have a son and will name him Immanuel.” Isaiah 7:14 CEV

God with us – in the car going to work; in the kitchen baking cookies; helping our kids with their homework; Christmas shopping; sitting beside the bed of a sick friend; sitting alone looking at the checkbook and the bills that need to be paid.

God with us – His purpose in coming was to be “with us”. In fact, Hebrews 13:5 tells us that He will NEVER leave us or forsake us.

We are also told that He promises to provide all our needs, heals all our diseases and forgives all our sins. Psalm 103

He always causes us to triumph in Christ Jesus. II Corinthians 2:14

Can’t say that’s the way it’s always been in my life but I can say that when I realized that “God with us” it has certainly changed the outcome for the better – the best.

When we focus on all “we” have to do and how it’s “All” up to us, we become self absorbed. We make a very small package. But when we realize, truly realize, that God’s purpose is to “Be with us”, when we unwrap the present of His presence in our daily lives our world changes dramatically.

” What can we say about all this? If God is on our side, can anyone be against us? 32 God did not keep back his own Son, but he gave him for us. If God did this, won’t he freely give us everything else?” Romans 8:31-32 CEV

“Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.” Psalm 16:11

God’s present to us is His presence today. It fills us with joy!

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What’s in a Name?

What are you called?

Do you remember those days when it seemed everyone was calling your name – Mom, Kristi, Honey, Mrs. Wilson? I think every Mom has said at one point, “I’m changing my name”. We say that in jest because we never would but some days we are just tired and out of answers.

How great to know that there is One who is always there to answer when we call. He never gets tired or falls asleep while we’re talking. He’s interested, He’s concerned and He loves to make time for us.

“Ask me, and I will tell you things that you don’t know and can’t find out.” Jeremiah 33:3 CEV

His names: Wonderful, Counsellor, Prince of Peace, Mighty God. Also, Maker, Husband, Lord, Redeemer.

” For thy Maker is thine husband; the Lord of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called.” Isaiah 54:5 KJV

His name is Jesus…Savior

“21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins.” Matthew 1:21 KJV

He is I AM: bread of life, the door, the good shepherd, the way, the truth and the life, the Word, the resurrection, the vine, the friend that sticks closer than a brother!

He is our intercessor, our high priest, the author and finisher of our faith, our healer, our Savior, the Son of God.

” For we do not have a High Priest who is unable to sympathize and understand our weaknesses and temptations, but One who has been tempted [knowing exactly how it feels to be human] in every respect as we are, yet without [committing any] sin. 16 Therefore let us [with privilege] approach the throne of grace [that is, the throne of God’s gracious favor] with confidence and without fear, so that we may receive mercy [for our failures] and find [His amazing] grace to help in time of need [an appropriate blessing, coming just at the right moment].” Hebrews 4:15-16 AMP

Who is it you need to talk to today? He is JESUS!

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Christmas Kindness All Year Long

All we have to do to find God’s gift of kindness is open the Bible and read a few lines.

The sunrises and sunsets, the dew and the rain, the melody of the birds, the clouds in the sky were all created for our enjoyment by the kindness of the Lord. Then we experience His love, mercy, gentleness and grace. There is no greater kindness than these.

“You are merciful, Lord! You are kind and patient and always loving. 9 You are good to everyone, and you take care of all your creation. 10 All creation will thank you, and your loyal people will praise you. 11 They will tell about your marvelous kingdom and your power.
12 Then everyone will know about the mighty things you do and your glorious kingdom.
13 Your kingdom will never end, and you will rule forever. Our Lord, you keep your word and do everything you say.
14 When someone stumbles or falls, you give a helping hand. 15 Everyone depends on you,
and when the time is right, you provide them with food. 16 By your own hand you satisfy the desires of all who live. 17 Our Lord, everything you do is kind and thoughtful, 18 and you are near to everyone whose prayers are sincere.19 You satisfy the desires of all your worshipers, and you come to save them when they ask for help.” Psalm 145:8-19 CEV

God doesn’t know how to be unkind. Everything He does is thoughtful and kind. He doesn’t do unkind things, His whole being is love and love is kind.

The Lord has blessed us with His kindness so that we can bless others. A word of encouragement, a helping hand, a simple act, patiently waiting in a line without being rude, giving attention and assistance to someone, a sincere compliment. All these acts of kindness are displays of the Father.

I’m hearing these words as I write this, these are the words of Jesus: “The king will answer, ‘Whenever you did it for any of my people, no matter how unimportant they seemed, you did it for me.” Matthew 25:40 CEV

We are the recipients of God’s kindness but we are also the givers of the same.

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Let It Shine

Last night I went out after dark to take inventory of our path lights. We live on the edge of a wash so it’s important that things are well lit. We don’t want anyone getting too close to the edge.

I told Dave that we have four lights which need to be replaced. He said he would check them because sometimes they just need to have the sensors wiped clean and they’ll be ok.

When he said that I was reminded of my collection of oil lamps that I used on a regular basis. They weren’t just for decoration; they provided much needed light when we lost power. I cleaned the chimneys of those lamps regularly, so they were always ready to give light to the room.

It made me think – do I need to have my sensors wiped or my chimney cleaned?

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 5:14-15 ESV

Grumbling, murmuring, complaining, criticizing, fault finding and finger pointing will mess up our sensors and muck up our chimneys. Our light will be diminished, instead of protecting others from getting too close to the edge of danger.

Gratitude, thankfulness, appreciation, kindness, compassion and constructive instruction light the way for others to give glory to our heavenly Father.

“God once said, ‘Let light shine out of the darkness!’ And this is the same God who made his light shine in our hearts to let us know that his own divine greatness is seen in the face of Christ. 7 We have this treasure from God, but we are only like clay jars that hold the treasure. This is to show that the amazing power we have is from God, not from us.” II Corinthians 4:6-7 ERV

God has placed His treasure of light in us. Take inventory. If necessary, wipe off the sensors or clean the chimneys.

He wants us to shine brightly with His love.

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Like A Child

I love it when the Lord uses my grandchildren to remind me of His faithfulness.

Our grandson had his tonsils and adenoids removed on Wednesday afternoon. On Thursday morning, I woke to find a message from his younger sister. It read: “Please prey for Sam he don’t feel good”.

It made me chuckle, I stopped and prayed. I felt blessed to know that my grandchildren, younger and older, know that they can ask me to pray for them when there are things in life that don’t make them feel so good.

“Some people brought their small children to Jesus so that he could lay his hands on them to bless them. But when the followers saw this, they told the people not to do this. 16 But Jesus called the little children to him and said to his followers, ‘Let the little children come to me. Don’t stop them, because God’s kingdom belongs to people who are like these little children. 17 The truth is, you must accept God’s kingdom like a little child accepts things, or you will never enter it.‘” Luke 18:15-17 ERV

What a blessing – childlike faith!

Children have a simple faith. They trust us because they know we love them and we wouldn’t intentionally let anything harm them. We teach them about Jesus so they can trust His love and know that they are never alone. Their first response becomes we need to pray.

“Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.

9 “You parents—if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? 10 Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! 11 So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him.” Matthew 7:7-11 NLT

Our heavenly Father is much more faithful in providing for us and our children than we will ever be. I recently found this quote on teaching our children (and grandchildren) to pray. “Teaching children to pray is a wonderful way to introduce them to a lifelong conversation with God.”

“Remember these commands I give you. Keep them in your hearts. Write them down… 19 Teach these laws to your children. Talk about these things when you sit in your houses, when you walk along the road, when you lie down, and when you get up. 20 Write these commands on the doorposts of your houses and on your gates. 21 Then both you and your children will live a long time in the land that the Lord promised to give to your ancestors. You will live there as long as the skies are above the earth.

22 “Be careful to obey every command I have told you to follow: Love the Lord your God, follow all his ways, and be faithful to him.” Deuteronomy 11:18-22 ERV

Childlike faith.

If God makes a promise, He will not lie! We can trust Him. Now that’s something to be thankful for!!

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Hungry & Desperate

Have you ever been desperate?

Thinking all hope was gone and there was no where to turn – what do you do? That’s a time when many turn to God – they have exhausted their own resources; their wisdom, their finances, their influence and even their health and then they say “God help!”

I’ve been there and so have you!

I would never criticize anyone who finds themselves in that place but would only encourage them that it is true – God does care and He will help – He will provide a way out! But you know, when I think of that helpless, hopeless feeling now it brings me to a place of comfort and peace because God did meet me there – He did provide all that I needed and more!

There’s a song that says “I’m desperate for you” – that’s the place I want to be each and every day. Desperate for the Lord – I want to be so dependent on Him that I can’t imagine a day or an hour of living without a sense of His presence in my life. Again, from the song, He’s the very air I breathe – Do you know what’s it like to be that desperate for the Lord?

I hope so!!

“Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever. 2 Let the redeemed of the LORD tell their story— those he redeemed from the hand of the foe, 3 those he gathered from the lands, from east and west, from north and south. 4 Some wandered in desert wastelands, finding no way to a city where they could settle. 5 They were hungry and thirsty, and their lives ebbed away. 6 Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. 7 He led them by a straight way to a city where they could settle. 8 Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind, 9 for he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.” Psalm 107:1-9 ERV

Verse 9 in the King James version says “ For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.”

To be longing – that’s desperate. It’s more than desire; it’s a need, a deep need – a “I can’t go on any further without you” need.

When Jesus was teaching the Sermon on the Mount, he said this “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.” Matthew 5:6 KJV but read it in the Easy-to-Read Version

“Great blessings belong to those who want to do right more than anything else. God will fully satisfy them.” Matthew 5:6 ERV

They will be satisfied! Are you satisfied – fully satisfied? Do you long for Him today? I hope you do!

God will fill us up when we are desperate!

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My Defense

Years back a friend sent me this picture, She knew I could probably come up with a few thoughts to share.

I’ve seen leaves like this before, holey and destroyed. Beetles would eat the leaves of the trees. The leaves that fell to the ground were so badly eaten that only a shell of veins and stem were left. There was great danger that shade trees which had been growing for years would be destroyed.

When the beetles first came into the area, they were unnoticed or ignored, but they quickly multiplied and their ravenous appetites made them very destructive.

You know sin is like that – at first it’s hidden or even ignored. But if left to its self, it brings destruction. So how do we eradicate it? How do we stop the harmful effects?

“Great blessings belong to those who don’t listen to evil advice, who don’t live like sinners, and who don’t join those who make fun of God. 2 Instead, they love the LORD’s teachings and think about them day and night. 3 So they grow strong, like a tree planted by a stream— a tree that produces fruit when it should and has leaves that never fall. Everything they do is successful.” Psalm 1:1-3 ERV

We protect the tree, our heart, from evil influences and it will grow strong. Jesus referred to us as trees that bear fruit.

“If you want good fruit, you must make the tree good. If your tree is not good, it will have bad fruit. A tree is known by the kind of fruit it produces. 34 You snakes! You are so evil. How can you say anything good? What people say with their mouths comes from what fills their hearts. 35 Those who are good have good things saved in their hearts. That’s why they say good things. But those who are evil have hearts full of evil, and that’s why they say things that are evil. 36 I tell you that everyone will have to answer for all the careless things they have said. This will happen on the day of judgment. 37 Your words will be used to judge you. What you have said will show whether you are right or whether you are guilty.” Matthew 12:33-37 ERV

When we have our heart filled with good things, we love the Lord’s teachings and we think on them day and night, we will be like a tree whose leaves never fall.

We’ve all been through times when leaves have dropped from our branches that are diseased and full of holes, but GOD has provided the way to health and healing from the bugs that attack us.

“I study your teachings very carefully so that I will not sin against you. 12 Lord, you are worthy of praise! Teach me your laws.” Psalm 119:11-12 ERV

As we stay firmly planted, His life-giving water (the Word) will be our defense against predatory bugs that seek to destroy us!

“Be my Rock, my place of safety. Be my fortress, and protect me! You are my Rock and my protection.” Psalm 71:3 ERV

Praise and worship the Lord who is our defense!

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Be Like Jesus

I heard tell of a man who lived in AZ. He was out driving on the I-10 down Tucson way and he ran out of gas. He came to a stop on the shoulder of the road and right in front of him was this big billboard

NEED HELP

CALL JESUS

800-XXX-5555

In sheer desperation the man got out his cell phone and called the number. In 10 minutes, a 1950’s Chevy pickup showed up and out stepped a Mexican man with two 5 gallon gas cans, his name was Jesus!

Now that man was a neighbor. A good neighbor! He came to help in time of need.

“Then the king will say to the godly people on his right, ‘Come, my Father has great blessings for you. The kingdom he promised is now yours. It has been prepared for you since the world was made. 35 It is yours because when I was hungry, you gave me food to eat. When I was thirsty, you gave me something to drink. When I had no place to stay, you welcomed me into your home. 36 When I was without clothes, you gave me something to wear. When I was sick, you cared for me. When I was in prison, you came to visit me.’

37 “Then the godly people will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and give you food? When did we see you thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you with no place to stay and welcome you into our home? When did we see you without clothes and give you something to wear? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and care for you?’

40 “Then the king will answer, ‘The truth is, anything you did for any of my people here, you also did for me.’” Matthew 25:34-40 ERV

Since Jesus said the two greatest commandments are to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and strength and then to love your neighbor as yourself, we need to be ready to answer when we hear a call for help.

We don’t go in our own strength but in the love and the strength that God has placed within us. And we do it with a thankful heart. Thanking God that He has placed confidence in us that we will do the right thing and that we will respond in a timely manner – that we will be good ambassadors of Christ.

Let me ask this; if Jesus made a billboard and it said “NEED HELP” could He put our cell number at the bottom?

Jesus use us today to be the answer to someone’s call!

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What Has Jesus Done?

That’s the question I have for you this morning. What has Jesus done for you and who have you told?

I was reading about the demon-possessed man who had lived in graveyards, been chained at various times, lost his mind and walked around naked. He had an encounter with Jesus and Jesus set him free.

The demons went into a herd of pigs who then ran off a cliff and drown in the sea, but that’s a story for another day.

The men taking care of the pigs went into town and told the owners what had happened to the pigs and to the man. They came out to see for themselves. There they found the man sitting at Jesus’ feet. He was clothed and in his right mind. The towns people were frightened and told Jesus and his disciples to leave. The man wanted to go with Jesus but Jesus told him “No, stay here and tell everyone what has happened to you”.

” 37 All those who lived in the area around Gerasa asked Jesus to go away because they were afraid. So Jesus got into the boat to go back to Galilee. 38 The man he had healed begged to go with him. But Jesus sent him away, saying, 39 ‘Go back home and tell people what God did for you.‘ So the man went all over town telling what Jesus had done for him.” Luke 8:37-39 ERV

It was the testimony of people just like this man, telling his story, that brought the crowds to see Jesus. The leper, the blind man, the woman with the adulterous past, the woman’s whose son was raised from the dead, all gave testimony to what Jesus had done.

I love the account of the man who was born blind. The religious leaders were trying to discredit Jesus, and they spent a great deal of time questioning this man. They even questioned his parents.

“25 The man answered, ‘I don’t know if he is a sinner. But I do know this: I was blind, and now I can see.‘ 26 They asked, ‘What did he do to you? How did he heal your eyes?’ 27 He answered, ‘I have already told you that. But you would not listen to me. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to be his followers too?’…30 The man answered, ‘This is really strange! You don’t know where he comes from, but he healed my eyes.'” John 9:25-30 ERV

Jesus spoke to Mary in the garden after His resurrection and He told her to “go tell Peter and the disciples that I am risen”.

Before Jesus went back into heaven He said, “Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20 NLT

Let me ask you again. What has Jesus done for you? Go tell someone, they need to hear your story. Tell it as an act of gratitude and thanksgiving.

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Lift Up Your Head

Being a Christian doesn’t mean we are free from disappointment and heart ache. We are faced with the same challenges and problems as everyone else in the world. We experience relationships that fail; physical sickness and disease; death of loved ones; financial lack; political and social attack and unrest; and family crises.

What makes the difference in our lives is our faith and trust in a loving heavenly Father who is able to come to our aide in every situation. We don’t live with our heads in the sand but we do live with our hearts in HIS hand!

Let me remind you of what Jesus said.

“The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written, 18 ‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me (the Messiah), Because He has anointed Me to preach the good news to the poor. He has sent Me to announce release (pardon, forgiveness) to the captives, And recovery of sight to the blind, To set free those who are oppressed (downtrodden, bruised, crushed by tragedy), 19 to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord [the day when salvation and the favor of God abound greatly].’” Luke 4:17-19 AMP

This was the reason Jesus came and He didn’t just talk the talk, He walked the walk. So did His disciples.

“Jesus answered, ‘Go and tell John what you have heard and seen. 5 The blind are now able to see, and the lame can walk. People with leprosy are being healed, and the deaf can hear. The dead are raised to life, and the poor are hearing the good news. 6 God will bless everyone who doesn’t reject me because of what I do.” Matthew 11:4-6 CEV

His purpose is the same today as it was then!

When we are feeling overwhelmed we don’t have to fall into the same pit of despair as others around us. We can lift up our heads (a sign of hope) and go to the One who comforts, heals and sets right.

“Hear my cry, O God; Listen to my prayer. 2 From the end of the earth I call to You, when my heart is overwhelmed and weak; Lead me to the rock that is higher than I [a rock that is too high to reach without Your help]. 3 For You have been a shelter and a refuge for me, A strong tower against the enemy.” Psalm 61:1-3 AMP

” We have a great high priest, who has gone into heaven, and he is Jesus the Son of God. That is why we must hold on to what we have said about him. 15 Jesus understands every weakness of ours, because he was tempted in every way that we are. But he did not sin! 16 So whenever we are in need, we should come bravely before the throne of our merciful God. There we will be treated with undeserved kindness, and we will find help.” Hebrews 4:14-16 CEV

Lift your head, look up. Come find help today!

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