Friday, March 05th, 2010 | Author: Chris
As we finish reading the sermon on the mount, we see that Jesus’ last Words in verses 15-27 show us that we need to become very familiar with these 3 chapters of the Bible (Matthew 5-7). Jesus says that all of these teachings are marks of discipleship. Those who follow Jesus are to live by these, by faith, of course. When we reflect on our lives daily, we should ask God to show us how we are succeeding and how we are failing at following these teachings.
As you look back to all of His teachings in these chapters, are there any that you don’t understand, or would like to ask questions about?
Category: Daily Scripture Reading
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Friday, 5. March 2010
I am going to go with door # 1 “build house on a Rock” , just as soon as I can get this plank out of my eye !
Friday, 5. March 2010
1) In 7:1-6 we read about judging. I think we become a lot less interested in condemning people once it has sunk in that the Law has condemned us before God and that we don’t have any righteousness apart from Jesus’.
2) In 7-12 we learn about the kindness of God. Often people think that God wants to condemn them, but Jesus said He did not come to condemn, but to give us life (John 3:17-18). Also, Jesus says something similar in Luke 11:13 (probably a parallel account of Matthew) that indicates that Jesus is probably speaking of the gift of the Spirit that God will give to all those who ask Him.
3) Jesus says in Matthew 7:17-20, “So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So then, you will know them by their fruits.” This really sums things up quite a bit. The believer is filled with the Spirit and must bear good fruit. Galatians has a lot to say about this subject I believe.
4) This chapter ends with the statement, “When Jesus had finished these words, the crowds were amazed at His teaching; for He was teaching them as one having authority, and not as their scribes.” Chris said something cool last Sunday. He said something about the senior Pastor at Ekklesia being so great that they actually worshiped Him. He was talking about Jesus of course, and we see something of Jesus’ coolness here as He wows the people with His authority.
Saturday, 6. March 2010
What really stood out to me in Chapter 7 was the hypocrisy Jesus talks about. I think it is very common to see hypocrisy today especially in the Christian community. A lot of people I talk to tell me that the biggest thing that turned them away from Christianity was that there was so much hypocrisy in the church they went to, especially in the leaders.
During the beginning stages of my faith I found that I was actually being a hypocrite. Things were easier said than done. It was easier to look at someone else and point out their problems when I was struggling with the same ones. It was really difficult living with myself, knowing that I wasn’t who I thought I was, and because of that I struggled through an identity crisis.
I prayed for a long time, and finally I think Jesus saw that my prayers were sincere and this is what I really wanted. I wanted to live the life that I said I was going to. I wanted to live a life where I was looking to Him for wisdom. I wanted to live a life that produced good fruit and not one that appeared to be good on the outside. A good example is when people say that celebrities live good lives when actually their lives are populated with more problems than ours. Look at the result of some of the lives they live – divorce, alcohol addiction, drug addiction, love affairs, and struggling to find purpose in their lives. I’m not attacking celebrities for this, they are normal people who make mistakes just like everyone else. I’m just seeing many people who want to pursue their kind of lifestyle.
I see people who live their lives for Christ and when I look at them I see real happiness, real love, and real purpose. That’s the kind of lifestyle I want to live. Jesus tells us how to live our lives and what we should do so that we can achieve this lifestyle.
Keep praying guys! Let’s get some more comments on the blog!
Saturday, 6. March 2010
Leo,
I’m with you! I love how Jesus knows us and loves us anyway! He really is the only foundation worth building our house on, and He is the Master Builder. I love what He is doing with my life.