Matthew 18 - The Blessing of Forgiveness!

Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven. Matthew 18:21-22.

Jesus described this new kingdom as one where man would be forgiven by God and then he, in turn, would be able to share that same power of mercy and forgiveness to his brethren. Peter, still with an Old Covenant mindset, wondered how many times one would be required to forgive his brethren under this new paradigm, and Jesus answered 70 times 7, which was the exact number of years in Daniel's prophecy that God would deal with His people (490 years) before everlasting righteousness was ushered in. This was a spiritual clue that the end times of that old world/temple system were upon them; forgiveness in this new kingdom would be ongoing, never ending, eternal.

Forgiveness is a blessing that is available to us as new creations in Christ Jesus. With the Holy Spirit living inside us, we now have the power and authority to do that which most of us could never do in our own flesh -- forgive those who have hurt us deeply. But in this new kingdom, with the Spirit of God living in us, we now have the privilege and joy of releasing OURSELVES from the bondage of anger, bitterness, and hatred toward others. We now become truly free, which is exactly what God did with us. While we were His enemies, He obtained forgiveness for us so that there is now NOTHING separating us from His love. He holds no record of wrong against us, He does not count our sins against us, He does not want us to be even conscious of sins but to be conscious of our righteousness IN Christ. This is one of the wonderful beauties of the Gospel! Such good news!

Matthew 18 - Don't Cause the Little Ones to Stumble!

Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me. But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea. Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh! Matthew 18:4-7

Jesus explained to His disciples that this new spiritual kingdom was one that had to be received as a little child. We as parents understand how a little child believes anything a parent will tell them. The kingdom works in like fashion - one must believe what God says about His plan for righteousness; it is a plan that comes by believing and resting in the finished work on the cross, and NOT on the works of man under the Old Covenant/temple system.

Jesus also has harsh words for those during His day who would put obstacles before God's little children who had come to believe. The Bible and history tell us that many Jewish people who came to believe in Jesus were subject to great pressure from their families, community, and the rulers of the synagogues to fall away from their faith and go back to the sacrificial system. 'Woe unto that man by whom the offenses come,' is what the Lord said. Judgment was waiting for these people in 70AD.

Today there are many who put obstacles before believers to give up on their faith and go back to religion and the world's way of doing things. All of us must stand firm under opposition and hold fast to the truth, no matter the cost!

Matthew 17 - A Coin From a Fish's Mouth

He saith, Yes. And when he was come into the house, Jesus prevented him, saying, What thinkest thou, Simon? of whom do the kings of the earth take custom or tribute? of their own children, or of strangers? Peter saith unto him, Of strangers. Jesus saith unto him, Then are the children free. Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them, go thou to the sea, and cast an hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money: that take, and give unto them for me and thee. Matthew 17:25-27.

Jesus taught his disciples a spiritual lesson regarding payment of tribute to the kings of the earth. In the natural, it is understood that the earthly kings levy tributes and taxes against their subjects in exchange for protection, peace, harmony, etc. and NOT from the royal family. Therefore, the sons of a king are free from tribute obligation because they are able to bask in the blessings of being part of the monarchy.

The same is true in the spiritual realm. Sons of God are free from any payment or obligation but partake in all the rich inheritance of their Heavenly Father. This is made clear through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. By Him going to the cross, He took all of our payment, penalty, obligation for sin, leaving us free to live as children of the Most High God. Religious people and people of the world have no understanding of this freedom and so they will demand  from us, many times in the form of work or deeds and even an earthly tribute or tax.

Jesus told Peter to go ahead and pay the tribute, lest they offend the leaders of Israel who had no understanding of spiritual things. For us today, who live some 2000 years after the cross, we also must pay earthly tributes and taxes to the governments of the countries in which we live. Even though we are spiritually free sons of God, we must abide by the natural laws of the land in which we dwell.

God will provide all of that for us, and He will do it through the world system, whether it be through a job, business, or discovering treasure, or perhaps receiving a windfall of some kind. But it will not create harm to the world, in that He will not be taking from the world in order to bless us, like some divine Robin Hood.

No, as He blesses us, we in turn will be a blessing to all those around us, such that everyone will have an abundance that exceeds anything they could ask or think! The Gospel always brings prosperity in greater abundance than anything the world could do in their own strength. God is so good!

Matthew 17 - The Mount of Transfiguration

While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him. And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their face, and were sore afraid. Matthew 17:5-6.

The Pharisees had asked Jesus for a sign from heaven proving He was Messiah, but He refused, stating that the only sign to be given Israel was the sign of Jonah. Fortunately, for three of the disciples, Peter, James and John, they were about to witness an amazing sign from heaven that would've made the Pharisees salivate! On the Mount of Transfiguration, Jesus was transfigured before them as the God-man, His face and clothes brighter than the whitest white, just as the prophets of old had seen in visions and dreams! And what's more, even Moses and Elijah appeared and spoke with Jesus. What an amazing opportunity for these three men!

Peter, in his zeal to worship the Lord, made the mistake of putting Jesus on the same level as Moses and Elijah. As he was proclaiming his seemingly wonderful plan to build three tabernacles, the Heavenly Father interrupted his speech, declaring, "This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased. Listen to Him!"

What a wonderful message that is so true for us Christians today. We are to listen only to Jesus, for He is the exact representation of God the Father. Moses and Elijah are wonderful, but they are not on the same level as Jesus; instead, they point to Jesus! They represent all the Law and Prophets, which lead us to the person of Jesus. Praise God for that!

Jesus is the most wonderful gift that the Heavenly Father could ever give mankind. Sadly, there are many who are blind to this truth and needlessly suffer in sin, condemnation, and death. That's why it is so important for born again believers to advance the kingdom and share the good news of the Gospel!

Matthew 16 - Beware of the Leaven of the Pharisees

Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees. And they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have taken no bread. Which when Jesus perceived, he said unto them, O ye of little faith, why reason ye among yourselves, because ye have brought no bread? Do ye not yet understand, neither remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many baskets ye took up? Neither the seven loaves of the four thousand, and how many baskets ye took up? How is it that ye do not understand that I spake it not to you concerning bread, that ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees? Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees. Matthew 16:6-12.

After the healing of the Canaanite woman's daughter and the feeding of the second multitude of 4000 in the wilderness, the Pharisees come back again, questioning Jesus. They knew very well that this amazing feat of feeding some 20,000 people with seven basketsful of leftover food was a sign by Jesus to the rulers of Israel that one greater than Moses had come. Moses fed Israel manna in the desert when they fled Egypt, but here was a man who feed them a super abundance of fish and loaves! God had never done anything like this before! Jesus was declaring that He was not only an anointed Jewish man (the Son of man), but that He was also divine, of God ( the Son of God). For that reason, the Pharisees came asking for a sign from heaven that would prove this truth.

Of course, Jesus was not going to provide any such thing, because the evidence was already there and in abundance. He answered that a wicked, evil, and adulterous generation requests signs when the evidence is as plain as the nose on one's face. In this new kingdom, revelation of truth comes by faith and not continual natural proof. Besides, even if Jesus had provided them with some sort of sign, they never would've believed it! Their hearts were hardened and calloused; they were blind and deaf and doomed to destruction (in 70AD).

Jesus warned His disciples to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, meaning the man made doctrines that make the Gospel of no effect. At first the disciples thought He was talking about bread, but Jesus always speaks of spiritual things before dealing with natural issues. The spiritual sin or leaven of this Pharisaical/temple system would be the greatest obstacle to the Gospel message advancing forth. This is still true today. Religion (even some facets of Zionism), Christian watch-dogs, and denominationalism are the greatest hindrance to the advancement of the Gospel of grace. All of us need to examine the teaching we are sitting under and purge out anything that does not line up with God's precious Word!

Matthew 15: Hearts Laid Bare

But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man. Matthew 15:18-20.

After the miraculous feeding of the multitude, the Pharisees came to Jesus asking why He and His disciples didn't ceremonially wash their hands in accordance with the tradition of the Jewish elders. The implication was that Jesus and the disciples were defiling themselves by eating without washing.

Jesus confronted them with their hypocrisy and then turned and taught His disciples re spiritual cleanliness. Here is the lesson: It isn't what goes in to a person that makes him or her unclean, but what comes out of his or her mouth, ie his or her words. Why words? Because the words and the ensuing actions (which are the manifestation of those words) reflect the condition of that person's heart. Yes, there are religious people today, just like the Pharisees, who say all the right things, but their conduct is very different from their speech. I'm sure that if you stuck close to them for any length of time (as a fly on a wall) you would probably hear very different words come out of their mouth from what is espoused while attending church functions.

God is all about giving us new, clean hearts that speak His words and perform His actions. The condition of one's heart is based on what he or she believes, and that belief is based on one's thinking. How does one change his or her thinking to line up with God's thinking? Meditate on the Word and keep meditating, even when circumstances and people pressure you to give up, cave in, and quit!

Matthew 14 - Rise Above the Wind & Waves!

And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? Matthew 14:28-31. 

After the feeding of the five thousand, Jesus directed His disciples to go over to the other side of the Sea of Galilee to the land of Gennesarat while He went up to a high mountain to pray. A wonderful spiritual lesson was about to unfold; as the wind kicked up and the waves began to roll, the disciples found that they could not maneuver their boat toward their destination. Circumstances were against them, and they were doomed to fail without God's intervention.

Jesus knew of their circumstance but waited until after 3am to come to them - not as a rescuer who would snatch them out of their predicament, and not even as one who would calm the wind and the waves. No, He came as one who would show them HOW they were to RISE ABOVE the wind and waves and do what they had been called to do. He came to them walking above the wind and waves, revealing Himself as not only an anointed flesh man, but also an anointed, spiritual God man.

What is the message to us on the other side of the cross? Persecutions and obstacles will be there, and they may be huge, both from the spiritual realm and the natural realm. But we, as born again children of God, are to rise above all of that, with our spiritual sights set on Jesus, and do as He has called us to do. We cannot let fear stop us, but must push through our fleshly hesitancies and things that defy our natural reasoning and move forward in faith. Those of us who are bold like Peter will do supernatural, miraculous things, provided we step out in faith AND keep our eyes on Jesus. This is impossible to do in our flesh, but with and IN the spirit, all things are possible!

Jesus casually walked above a wild and tumultuous sea, and Peter did too! The same power and authority IN CHRIST is available to the church today! How exciting!

Matthew 14 - The Feeding of the Five Thousand

And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass, and took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, and brake, and gave the loaves tohis disciples, and the disciples to the multitude. And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the fragments that remained twelve baskets full. And they that had eaten were about five thousand men, beside women and children. Matthew 14:19-21. 

After John the Baptist was killed, Jesus knew His march toward the cross was nearly upon Him. We see a change in His teachings toward His disciples, mainly a "ramping up" of spiritual laws and truths where these natural men would be required to live and operate supernatural lives long after Jesus was gone from the earth.

The first of such teachings was the feeding of the five thousand. Here, Jesus revealed to them that this new kingdom operates under the seed principle, meaning that the smallest of things, when placed in Lord's hands and offered to the Heavenly Father, will reap a great abundance. All they had to feed these five thousand men plus their wives and children were two small fish and five loaves of bread. But this was more than enough in the hands of the Savior! That day, the multitudes ate till they were full and even had twelve filled baskets left over to bless others! Moses had fed Israel manna in the wilderness, but this was greater than manna! One greater than Moses had come.

This historical account is a great spiritual lesson for us in the body of Christ, some 2000 plus years beyond the cross. If the Lord has called us to do something that in the natural seems impossible, then we are to offer the small little bits that we have and place them in His hands. The Heavenly Father will bless it and there will be an abundance. Give it time, but the harvest will surely come. It is a spiritual law!

We live in a wonderful kingdom! It is a kingdom that will continue to grow, flourish, and bear great fruit. It is a kingdom that will never end! Amen!

Matthew 13 - Parable of the Wheat and the Tares

The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field. Matthew 13:41-44. 

Jesus explained to His disciples that at the day of Judgment (which was 70AD) the angels of God would separate out the fruit-bearing wheat from the weeds or tares. The tares would be bound together and thrown into the lake of fire, whereas the wheat would be allowed to flourish and grow.

Jesus went on to explain that the wheat represent the sons of God, the offspring of good seed (the Gospel of Jesus Christ), whereas the tares represent the sons of the enemy, the offspring of the enemy's seed. He had warned the Pharisees, scribes, and Sadducees of this to their face, declaring that they were of their father, the devil, always speaking lies, asking for signs and failing to believe. If they had really been the offspring of Abraham as they claimed, they would've done what Abraham did - believe.

Jesus used other wonderful parables to explain the nature of this new kingdom being ushered in. It would not be an earthly, powerful kingdom like what Israel had experienced under King David and Solomon, but a spiritual kingdom that would start out very small. Like a mustard seed, it would begin very tiny, then would grow up as an herb, and then later become the greatest of trees.

This kingdom was a mystery that had been buried away, but like treasure in a field or a costly pearly in an oyster, it would be dug up and exposed for all the world to see. And that's exactly what the Lord Jesus Christ did when He sent to the cross, died, and was raised up. He is the man in the parable who found the treasure in the field and the merchant who discovered the pearl of great price, and we, His body, are that treasure and that pearl. We, His offspring, make up this wonderful kingdom! Selah!

Live Free From the Law of Sin & Death

For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 7:22-25a

The Apostle Paul teaches us from the Book of Romans that the law of sin and death reigns in our mortal bodies so that the good that we want to do we can't seem to do! We seem to keep on sinning no matter how hard we try! How frustrating!

But the cure has been given in the person of Jesus Christ! He is the answer. When we get born again IN HIM, we come under a different law, the law of spirit and life! Now, there is no more condemnation and shame. We now live a life of liberty and freedom!

The Privilege and Responsibility of Being Born From Above!

These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country. And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city. Hebrews 11:13-16

For about nine months now I'm been doing a thorough study of end times prophecy. It started last June, and since then, I haven't been able to put the topic down. Now, in the light of all that is going on in the world, I feel as though the Scriptures are unfolding before our very eyes.

And yet, how many professing Christians truly see it? How many Jews during the time of Christ had any idea that the baby Messiah had been born in the Bethlehem or that the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world was walking amongst them, offering them the Kingdom of God? When severe persecution came, many fell away, but then on the day of Pentecost, many were saved.

For the truly born again Christian, it is time to wake up! A gentle awakening is always easier than an abrupt slap in the face, so I'm choosing to rouse myself now, at this very important time, from my American, middle-class Christian slumber and see AND hear spiritually what the Lord would have me see and hear. I've had to shake some wrong teaching from my mind, particularly the theology that God is constantly reminding me of my sins and faults (classic denominational teaching) OR that I must sow money or good works into my local church or favorite ministry in order to be blessed by Him (word of faith teaching).

No, if I want to be awake to the Lord's plans in this dangerous hour in which we live, I need to line my thoughts and beliefs up with His, as outlined in the Bible. I need to remind myself that I am a New Creation in Christ Jesus, born from above as a child of God, and that the blessing of Abraham has come upon me, just as the Apostle Paul explains in both Ephesians, Galatians, and all his other epistles. Anything other than accepting the original Gospel that Paul preached is blasphemy and false teaching. Faith in the Gospel message and belief in all the wonderful promises of the Heavenly Father is crucial for today's believer. This pleases God.

With all that being said, it is important to remind ourselves that we are not citizens of this world. We are in this world, but we are not of it. Our citizenship is in heaven, in the heavenly Jerusalem, which is above. We are here as ambassadors of Christ, sent on a divine mission, to complete the tasks He would have us complete which were ordained before the foundation of the world! Just thinking about that brings a smile to my face.

None of us here in America have had mobs of radical killers with swords and weapons invade our streets, threatening to chop off our heads or our body parts or rape or kill our children or harvest their organs for financial means. We look at these reports on social media and it seems surreal. But then we open our Bibles, and there it is, laid out plainly in the Scriptures. Will this mayhem reach our shores? Not sure. But let's be ready.

Perhaps the Lord will send us into harm's way, like the good soldiers He has trained us to be, instructing us to assist others in their faith as they endure extreme persecution. He has given us our weapons of warfare, He has given us His Holy Spirit, He has given us His name, He has given us His blood, He has given us the sword of the Spirit to pray in our heavenly language that can and will do severe damage to the kingdom of darkness. Let's be ready, poised, and prepared to wield that weapon and enter the battle fray. Our fellow brethren here at home and on the other side of the planet need our prayers. God moves through His body, which is the Church, of which we are.

These are exciting times! Like Joshua was instructed before entering into the Promised Land, let's refuse to fear and stay in faith. Keep the Word ever before us and be obedient to everything the Lord instructs us to do.

Love and blessings in the mighty name of Jesus!