Apr. 7:    Ruth ch. 4

I Am With You – Will You Be With Me?”

• Ruth 4:The Miracle of Healing in Divine Provision:

•   What is a Disciple?  “An apprentice who is learning how to think, speak, and act like his teacher.”  As a Christian, perhaps the greatest hindrance to learning from Jesus are woundings to our spirits from everyday life that have never been healed.

1. Naomi starts the Healing Process:(1:6-7)

   • Naomi:a wounded believer: (1:1-5,13,20-21)

   • Ruth:a wounded non-believer: (1: 4-5)

   • An imperfect witness can still be powerful: (1:16-18)

2. Ruth continues the healing process: . (2:2)

a.Ruth begins to minister to Naomi:(2:11,17-18)

b.Boaz begins to minister to Ruth: (2:8-9,13-16,21)

c.Naomi is greatly encouraged:(2: 20,22)

1. Naomi advances the healing process:(3:1-4)

   • Naomi gives her redemption right to Ruth: (3:1)

   • Ruth advances the healing process to Boaz: (3:9)

   • Boaz returns healing process to Ruth/ Naomi (3:13,17)

2. Boaz finalizes the healing process: (4:9-10)

   • A closer relative refuses the healing process: (4:6-8)

   • Boaz receives great blessing and healing: (4:11-13)

   • Ruth receives great blessing and healing: (4:13)

   • Naomi receives even greater blessing and healing: (14-17)

Reflection:  1. We must, at all costs, either start…or advance…the healing of our spirit’s wounds:   Where am I in this process? 

 Prayer:  Dear Lord:  Today I present to you my spirit for both feeding and healing:  Flood my spirit with Your Words, Thoughts, Love, and Healing.  Teach me something new today.  Amen.

​

3 Mar 2019

“I Am With You – Will You Be With Me?”

    4th Picture of Mary & the Disciples:John 21:2-14

        (when pride & self-will are gone, the spirit is teachable)

(Intro:The disciples still have unbelief, pride, and self-will:

How will Jesus deal with this before He leaves for Glory?Compare with John 15:5…”for without me you can do nothing.”)

 

1.  The Pain of Finding Bottom: vs. 2-3

   • The Pain of Grief, Shame, Betrayal & Suicide:vs. 2.

   • The Pain of no money: vs. 3

   • The Pain of working and not getting paid:vs. 3.

   • The Pain of admitting you’ve failed:vs. 5.

2. The Power of simple Obedience:vs. 4-7.

   • Obedience begins when we admit we failed; vs 5.

   • Obedience brings rewards for your work:vs. 6.

   • Obedience opens spiritual eyes:vs. 7-11.

   • Obedience brings spiritual food and the wonder & closeness of His presence: vs. 12-14.

3. Several things to reflect and think about:

   • If the disciples had caught a lot of fish on their own, would they still have wanted to be disciples? ( Vs. 3)

   • Did Jesus have anything to do with the disciples NOT catching any fish?(vs.4-5)

Ever been out somewhere cold and hungry, and a stranger welcomes you to food, warmth, friendship, and whatever else may be needed?  (vs. 9-14)

 

30 Dec 2018

Matthew 27:27-44

I.        Preaching pavement (27-31)

a.       This is the bloody pavement in “The Passion of the Christ” where Jesus was whipped almost to death.”

b.      Praetorium – governor’s headquarters NW corner of Tower of Antonia, on the east side of the city. Here they play the Comic King [A game of cat and mouse]

c.       “Struck him on the head” most likely to drive the sharp thorns onto Jesus brow.  He suffered and never fought back

II.       Baby shower gift (32-36)

a.       Isaac’s bearing the wood for his own sacrifice to Mt Moriah

b.      Simon of Cyrene – when your plans are interrupted and you have to carry another’s cross, remember what Simon did for Jesus and Jesus did for Simon.  Luke 23:26

c.       Wine mingled with gall (34) [Mark account is Myrrh]

III.    God’s tract (34-44)

a.       King of the Jews (37) is a placard of truth from God

b.      “Come down from the cross” (40) How about come up from the grave in three days.

c.       Save yourself – Be careful of the world’s whispers

                                   i.      serve Yourself (Matthew 4:3,4)

                                 ii.      pity Yourself (Matthew 16:21-23)

                               iii.      defend Yourself (Matthew 27:14)

                               iv.      pamper Yourself (34)

                                 v.      save Yourself (42)

d.      Jesus saved others, Himself He could not save (42)

 

When you try to love others in Jesus’ name, you’ll find Love is Messy.

​

23 Dec 2018

Matthew 27:1-26

I.        Jesus bound? (1,2)

a.       Jesus and Isaac: both in their prime, both in submission, both bound before being laid upon the alter

b.      Jesus could have easily snapped those cords like Samson did to the Philistine ropes. But there were other cords.

II.       Judas’ remorse (3-10)

a.       Regret (mind), Remorse (mind and emotions), Repentance (change the mind and emotions, the will i.e. turning away from sin.)

III.    Pilates wife’s dream (19)

a.       Here was an unlooked-for witness to the innocence of Christ; Pilate’s wife.

b.      Is this Claudia in 2 Timothy 4:21?

c.       With her dream she awoke 2 convictions: Jesus/Pilate

IV.    Everyone’s question (22-25)

a.       Pilate asks the crowd but doesn’t ask his own conscience

V.    Barabbas’ release (26)

a.       He had made an open revolt against civil authority (Rome)

b.      Jesus delivered to death and Barabbas is released

c.       Jesus knew the Father would have to treat him like Barabbas so He could treat Barabbas like Jesus.

d.      The people didn’t set Barabbas free. Pilate didn’t set Barabbas free. It is only the love of the Father that set Barabbas free.

 

Your greatest challenge is not your discipline, devotion, or focus. Your greatest challenge is believing the gospel.

​

16 Dec 2018​

Matthew 26:57-75

I.        Jesus, the rock that never cracked (57-68)

a.       This trial was in 2 sets of 3 stages (Jewish trial and Roman trial).

b.      2 witnesses – fulfilled the letter of the law, but in lying they broke both the letter and the spirit of the law. (60)

c.       It was a serious matter to speak against the Temple (61).  Steven had same charge (Acts 6:13) and Jesus (John 2:19)

d.      Now was the right time for Jesus to reveal Himself plainly…I Am! (64) (Mark 14:62)

II.       Peter, the rock that crumbled (69-75)

a.       How could the Apex of the Apostles fall? The answer is laid out in Luke 22:31,32.

b.      Denied again – Ask not, Lord have I’ve denied You? But ask, in how many areas of my life have I denied you. (70)

c.       The Look – Luke 22:61,62 It doesn’t say…

d.      Think about how we can criticize Peter…when Jesus didn’t

e.       Jesus warned, looked, forgave, and would restore Peter times 3…at the end of John’s gospel

Jesus wants neither Regret (involves just the mind); nor Remorse (involves the mind and emotions…we feel terrible); but Repentance (involves the changing of the mind; the changing of emotions; AND the changing of the will (i.e. turning away from sin)

​

9 Dec 2018

Matthew 26:31-56

I.        Prophecy of Jesus (31-35)

a.       Peter did not know he was drunk with pride and carnal self-confidence.  “I will never…” famous last words

II.       Prayer of Jesus (36-46)

a.       History started in a Garden (Eden) and History will end one day in a garden (Heaven’s Main Street). In between we find Jesus in this Garden, the Garden of Gethsemane.

b.      (38) “Even to death” Jesus wasn’t cringing in the face of physical death, instead He was dreading the moment when His Father’s face would be turned away from him.

c.       The same Simon who fell asleep three times, will also deny Him the same 3 times.

d.      Jesus wasn’t pouting, “hey, you guys weren’t there for Me.” But instead was pleading, “you don’t realize the results if you are not prayed up.”

III.    Persecution of Jesus (47-56)

a.       Faithful are the wounds of a friend, But the kisses of an enemy are deceitful. Proverbs 27:6

b.      The EAR of Grace (51) Jesus offers not resistance to His arrest and doesn’t want any well-meaning interventions on His behalf. 2 Cor 10:3,4

c.       We don’t fight for His kingdom. We sacrifice. We suffer. We surrender for His kingdom.

d.      (51) Peter fought the wrong enemy, used the wrong weapon, had the wrong motive, and accomplished the wrong result.

IV.    Jesus’ Result of Prayer (52)

Reenergized ~ Is. 40:31

​

2 Dec 2018

Matthew 26:17-30

I.        This is a family meal, but it is not secretive.

a.       Here Jesus takes a major Jewish celebration, called the Passover, Jews observed each year for 1,500 years, converting it and elevating into what we know as communion.

II.       Instructions (17-19)

a.       Meal consisted of roasted lamb, unleavened bread, bitter herbs and four cups of diluted wine.

III.    Indictment (20-25)

a.       The men often debated on which one of them was the greatest, now discussed who was the vilest.

b.      Judas chimed in (last it seems) and mouthed the words surely not I, fooling everyone but Jesus.

IV.    Institution (26-30)

a.       Every detail of the Passover pointed to that great day of Israel’s deliverance from Egypt. Now, Jesus will redirect the details to Himself and to His deliverance of the world from sin.

b.      Bread broken/Christ for us. Bread eaten/Christ in us. Bread partaken together/Christ among us

c.       The third cup…Redemption…Old covenant ratified with the blood of animals sacrifices. New covenant was ratified by Jesus blood.

d.      Do this in remembrance of me..reassuring promise of His Grace.

1 Corinthians 10:16-18 – eat, drink, and remember

​

18 Nov 2018

Matthew 25:31-46

I.        Mercy Ministry (31-46)

a.       The sheep will receive the Kingdom, prepared for them from the foundation of the world (34). It is due to their mercy ministry in feeding, clothing, caring for, and even assisting Jesus in prison (35,36)

b.      The goats will be punished in eternal hell (41) because they did not minister to Jesus (42,43).

c.       Jesus defined his brothers and sisters in Mt. 12:49,50; James tells about faith and works in James 2:15-17; Luke tells us to show Mercy to Believers in Lk. 6:27-36.

d.      Jesus invites the sheep into His kingdom because of their ministry to Him on earth. For I was hungry (35,36), one of the least of these (40).

e.       “The world is sick and tired of hearing of the love of Jesus, they want to see it.” Craig Groeschel

II.       Harriman Chapel

a.       Harriman murmuration – move in love together

b.      Harriman murmuration – where we as a church body…see, feel, watch and vibe with the rhythm and movement of the body of Christ.

c.       Harriman murmuration – we hear of wars and run toward them to heal the wounded or feed the famished. We befriend and build bridges instead of walls. Find those with tattered clothes and run to cloth them. Hear the sick and run to visit them, listen to them, pray for them, lay hands on them

Harriman murmuration – Because it tells our story of loving Jesus

​

11 Nov 2018

Matthew 25:14-30

I.        This parable deals with service in the world while Jesus is away.

a.       The talents represent opportunities to use our abilities to serve Christ.

b.      Our time is not to be spent dreaming of that future day. It is to be spent in the service of our absent Lord, who has entrusted His possessions to us.

II.       Investment Strategies (14-19)

a.       The Lord compares himself as a traveling man to a far country

b.      The servants were His and the goods were His

c.       Our gifts and talents are like a vessel, which may be large or small, but in each case, it is filled.

III.    Profit and Loss Statement Review (20-30)

a.       The master’s commendation (21,23)

b.      One unwise investor (23,25)

c.       The master’s condemnation (26-30)

 

Ephesians 4:16 “Exercise your gifts. Stir up your gifts. Fan them into flame. Serve your Master. Invest your gifts.”

​​