Beginning at Matthew 16:13 Jesus asks the disciples who people are saying that He is. They gave Him many different opinions, just as people have many different opinions today. But then Jesus makes the question personal, asking who they say that He is. And Peter responds that He is the Christ, the Son of the living God. The important thing about this opinion was that it didn't come from man but from God. Jesus told Peter that he was blessed because he was receiving information from God, and forming his opinion based upon that. What is the source of your opinions about life and eternity, man or God?

Pastor Chris

Matthew 10-12

What struck me as I read this passage is the priority that Jesus gave the kingdom of God. He was constantly stressing it with His disciples. He made it clear to them that they were citizens of that kingdom and representatives of it as well. He told them that how people would react them to them was dependant upon their relationship to the King. Both the children of the kingdom of God and the children of this age will be identified by the fruit that is produced from their lives. This would be a good time to evaluate the fruit that we are producing. Are we encouraging people to walk with Jesus or to walk like the world?

Pastor Chris

Matthew 4-6

Within these chapters we have a portion of the Sermon On The Mount. In this message Jesus is describing what a citizen of the kingdom of God looks like. Much of His description has to do with our possessions and the way we view what life is really about. Are our lives wrapped up in possessions? If they are we will be prone to worry, because possessions come and go. Even the best of things don't last forever. I have a Levi wallet that I bought when I was a teenager in the 70's at the Springfield Mall in northern Virginia. It is made of a sort of sail cloth and it seemed like it would never wear out. It would get dirty and I would just throw it in the washing machine and it would look as good as new. Well, as I took the wallet out of my pocket yesterday I noticed that a hole was beginning to form and the threads were beginning to break. This could be especially traumatic since just a few months ago I finally had to throw out my 35 year old JC Penny work shoes. For those of you that might not know, they were a real fashion statement at the time. Then, I am reminded that, as the Lord said, "one's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses" (Luke 12:15). And, as Jesus tells us here in this sermon that if we seek first His kingdom and His righteousness He will provide the things that we really need (Matthew 6:33). The worry decreases when we have less of an attachment to this world and more of a connection with God's eternal kingdom and I become more aware of His incredible love for me.

Pastor Chris

Matthew 1-3

As we begin our journey through the New Testament I would just like to share some things that the Lord laid on my heart as I read. But first I want to share some important principles about reading the Word. The Bible is not just another book. There is not another book that can even come close to comparing to it. Every single detail of the Word inspired by God. 2 Timothy 3:16 tells us that it was literally "God breathed out". And when God writes something He clearly says what He means and means what He says. Don't try to read something into it, but as much as possible take the plain meaning of what you are reading. When you do this you are most likely to discover the meaning that God intended. I've said this to make an important point for us as we read the Scriptures. Where there is basically one meaning, or interpretation of a passage of Scripture, there may be many applications. In other words, the Bible says what it says, but the Lord may apply a basic truth to my life in a personal way that is specific to my circumstances. When I write in this blog what the Lord showed me in the chapters we read it certainly does not mean that what I say is the only thing that anyone should get out of that section of Scripture. The Lord will apply the Word to your heart in a way that is intended for you personally. As long as it does not violate the meaning of the passage it is equally valid as what the Lord shows me. The Father will work through the Spirit in your heart. This is the main way that God communicates with us today. As you sit down to read, simply ask Him to take what you read today and apply it to your heart. Having said all of this let us jump into Matthew 1-3.

Within this passage we discover the reason that God sent His Son into the world. Matthew 1:21 says that the angel that appeared to Joseph told him to name the Child Jesus, because He would save His people from their sin. God takes sin very seriously. It is sin that separates us from God, preventing us from having a relationship with Him. It is not until that sin is dealt with that we can come into a relationship with Him. How do I deal with the issue of my sin and what God wants to do about it? In this passage two choices are clearly laid out. First, is the choice that was made by King Herod. When he heard that Jesus had come, he saw it as a threat to his position. He knew that both he and Jesus could not be king. So, he sought to destroy Jesus. When the Lord points out a particular sin in my life, how do I respond? Both of us can't be the King of my life. Do I seek to maintain my comfort that I have grown use to? It could very possibly be painful to change. It requires dying to myself (Gal 2:20). This truth is clearly illustrated in marriage. I was one of those people that really wanted to get married, thinking that when I did that virtually all of my problems would be over. I, myself, would then be happy. I didn't have a clue of God's intention for me in marriage. What I discovered was that in order to have a real married relationship I had to die to myself. When there is a problem in my marriage, I have discovered that it is usually an indication of an area of my life that I have not yielded to the Lord and died to my self. And when I thought that I had that down, we had kids and I began to discover a new level of dying to myself. And the more I die to myself the more I become like Jesus.

The second choice that we see is that laid out by John the Baptist in Chapter Three. That choice is repentance. Repentance is when I agree with God about what He says about my sin. When He points my sin out to me, my response should be to confess it (1 John 1:9) , account the old man dead in Christ (Romans 6:11), and by His strength seek to walk in a way that is consistant with my new life in Christ (Matthew 3:8). As John tells us, Jesus will give us the power of the Holy Spirit to live the life that He has called us to.

I look forward to hearing from you what the Lord has shown you, or any questions that you may have about the passage.

Pastor Chris

This is my first post as we look forward to taking 90 days to read through the New Testament beginning May 1st. I'm sure that each person that will take this journey with us will be blessed. First, and foremost, you will be blessed as you grow closer to Jesus through His Word. Second, because we know that the Word of God does not return void you will find it having an impact on your life, conforming you into the image of Jesus. So, open your heart and your Bible and let's get started.

Pastor Chris