Awake Us Now
Oh Lord, our God, our hope is in You and in You alone and so we pray with confidence the words of “America, the Beautiful,” Stanza 2: O beautiful for pilgrim feet Whose stern impassioned stress A thoroughfare for freedom beat Across the wilderness! America! America! God mend thine every flaw, Confirm thy soul in self-control, Thy liberty in law! Lord, that is the prayer of our heart for our native land. We pray for a mighty move of God in our day, we pray for revival across this nation, we pray for hearts returning to You, and we ask this in the strong...
info_outline Big Questions - Israel Reborn: How Significant is it?Awake Us Now
The nation of Israel was reborn suddenly in 1948, and the Jewish people have returned to the Promised Land in great numbers after 1900 years of exile. What does show about God's faithfulness and promises? What does it mean to believers in the Messiah?
info_outline The Living One - Week 30: The InheritanceAwake Us Now
Scripture: Acts 20:32-38 Pastor continues with the story of Paul’s talk with the leadership of the church in a gathering in the town of Miletus - it is Paul’s farewell speech to this group of believers. Paul finishes his time with these friends and leaders with them all in prayer together. There are tears as the leaders are grieved at knowing they will not see Paul again. Paul knew he had complete his work here and in the surrounding cities and areas. The chapter closes with them walking him to the ship to leave. But let’s focus on one of the words from Paul’s speech as it draws to an...
info_outline Prayer for America Day 11Awake Us Now
Almighty God, we believe Your word that with You nothing is impossible and that You desire all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. And so we boldly pray for a massive move of God in our land. We pray for millions of hearts reopened to Jesus’ call to repent and believe the Gospel, the Good News. We pray, Lord, that we may see the days when people will listen to You and hear Your voice and will return to You. We pray this with confidence in Your word, in Your Holy Spirit and in the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, in who’s name we pray. Hear us, Oh Lord, bring life to...
info_outline Prayer for America Day 10Awake Us Now
Psalm 46:1 says, “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” Lord, in trouble times we come before You on behalf of the nations and our nation. We pray, Lord, for a mighty move of the Holy Spirit in our land, we pray that You would be honored and adored in Your church and throughout the nation, we pray that hearts would be returning to You that a mighty move of the Spirit of the Living God would restore families, marriages, communities, cities, and states. Be still, You tell us, and know that I am God. Lord, may you be exalted in the nation. Amen.
info_outline Rescued by Truth: Week 44Awake Us Now
To understand Peace, we need to explore it in its Hebrew form: Shalom. Shalom is so much more than our English word “peace” conveys. We will discover the deep meaning of this word and see why Jesus speaks of Shalom as something only He can provide!
info_outline Prayer for America Day 9Awake Us Now
Oh Lord our God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, You told Your ancient people, Israel, I am the God who heals you. We pray healing over our land in these trouble days, Lord. We pray a restoration of honor and integrity in our nation’s institutions, a respect for the rule of law in our society. Restore love and devotion in our families, faithfulness in our marriages, proper education in our institutions of higher learning. Above all, we pray that You would rekindle faith and trust in You, the Living God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, to whom belongs all praise and adoration now and forever....
info_outline Big Questions - Birth Pains?Awake Us Now
Wars, violence, persecution - Jesus warned these things would mark the time before His return. These things, He said, were like birth pains - increasing trial and suffering that herald a joyful ending. "When these things begin to take place," He said, "... lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near." (Luke 21:28)
info_outline Two Year Gospel Study Week 44Awake Us Now
Luke 9:51-56; “Fire From Heaven” Our study today starts with a verse stating that Jesus “resolutely set out for Jerusalem.” Jesus was, without any hesitation, heading to Jerusalem, into the very city in which He knew He would suffer, be crucified and die. Knowing full well what was ahead - He resolutely - without hesitation - headed to Jerusalem. No shrinking back! Jesus was relentless in accomplishing what the Father desires. What does the Father desire? He desires that ALL come to know Him, His love, mercy, forgiveness and life transforming power. God’s desire is that ALL people...
info_outline Prayer for America Day 8Awake Us Now
We pray Psalm 85:4, “Restore us again, God our Savior.” Lord, in these rebellious times we pray for a mighty move of Your Holy Spirit. Open eyes blinded by the deception of the enemy, revive hearts hardened by the deceitfulness of sin, change minds corrupted by lies and half truths, restore wayward souls to the joy of the Lord Jesus Christ, our Savior and Deliver, restore us again, God our Savior. We pray this over our nation. We pray this over the body of Christ. We pray this over our nation’s leaders and those in positions of authority and we pray this in Your strong name. Amen.
info_outlineThis teaching is from Matthew 22:41 - Matthew 23:1-12
In today’s study of Matthew we continue looking at the last week of Jesus’ life before His arrest, crucifixion, death and resurrection. The religious leaders are continuing their pursuit of trapping Jesus into saying something that they could then bring charges against Him for and get rid of Him.
Jesus asks the religious leaders this question: “What do you think about the Messiah? Whose son is He?” They answer “The son of David,” thinking they had done well in answering! But Jesus replies, “He said to them, “How is it then that David, speaking by the Spirit, calls him ‘Lord’? For he says,
“‘The Lord said to my Lord:
“Sit at my right hand
until I put your enemies
under your feet.”
In this quote (Ps 110:1) who is the first Lord? It is God the Father. Who is “my Lord”? David is saying his Lord, meaning this sentence is The Lord (God the Father, Eternal Creator) said to my Lord (David’s Lord - the Messiah) …
Then Jesus goes on (verses 45-46), If David calls Him “my Lord” how can his Lord be his son? Jesus pushes their answer right back to them. This answer causes the religious leaders to stop asking Jesus questions. The leaders could not comprehend that David was pointing to the Messiah and that Jesus was pointing to Himself as the Messiah.
Jesus is pointing out that the Messiah is far more that just a descendant of David. He is instead the Living God who took a flesh - true Gd and true man and offers Himself as the sacrifice for sin for all people everywhere throughout all time.
Verses 1-12 of Chapter 23 is a
HIPOCRISY ALERT
A hypocrite is someone who doesn’t practice what they preach. In these next verses Jesus encourages the people to listen to what the leaders are teaching from the Torah, BUT No to do what they do because they are hypocrites. They strove to show people that they were better than they were. They were showy. It was all about drawing attention to themselves and how great they were.
Jesus calls us to Him as our Instructor and Teacher. To honor Him, serve Him, follow Him and warns us against raising up people to the level of God. Honor the Heavenly Father and listen to the voice of Jesus, and to heed what the Holy Spirit has to say.
Our Messiah - Jesus - is our Instructor. We want to learn from Him, we want to learn of Him, we want to know Him, follow Him, be immersed in His teaching and want His words to dwell within us in everyday, in every time and in every situation.
Jesus teaches against hypocrisy with a final instruction saying the greatest among us will be a servant. For those who exalt themselves (hypocrites) will be humbles and those who humble themselves will be exalted.
Jesus is making it clear of us who know Him that we are called to serve God and others, because that is Jesus’ example. “The Risen Servant”
Jesus speaks the SEVEN WOES in the next verses. They were spoken against the Pharisees and against many of the religious leaders of His day. These are cutting and difficult words spoken in love to these leaders and teachers of God Torah (law) with the purpose being a wake up call to them, a way to show them they are sinners in need of a Savior. Plus these are words that remind us of the importance of taking to heart the very teachings of Jesus: love God above all else and love our neighbors as ourselves. Jesus speaks truth bluntly to these leaders. His heart is to call them back to Himself.
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