Luke 20- God of The Living
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Author Archives: Unashamed of Jesus
Matthew 9- New Wineskin
No man putteth a piece of new cloth unto an old garment, for that which is put in to fill it up taketh from the garment, and the rent is made worse. Neither do men put new wine into old bottles: else the bottles break, and the wine runneth out, and the bottles perish: but they put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved. Matthew 9:16-17
Jesus said “Unless you are Born Again, you can’t see the Kingdom of Heaven” (John 3:3) I know I say this over and over again, but I think it’s a point that most people who declare themselves “Christians” forget. Becoming saved is not just repeating a few words and doing a few religious practices, it’s a transformation of your soul, it’s bringing your dead self stuck in sin back to life. When you become saved, there needs to be a change, there needs to be fruit produced to show evidence of your conversion, (Matthew 7) otherwise you’re probably not saved at all
Jesus teaches this point in his parable about the New Wine skin, you can’t put a piece of new cloth on an old shirt, you can’t put new wine in an old wine skin. You can’t pour the Holy Spirit in a wretched sinful body, you have to become reborn. This is what Jesus meant you must be Born Again to enter Heaven. You can’t pour New Wine into Old Wine Skin, what happens? The Wine Skin breaks, it can’t handle the New Wine, same with a wretched sinner, you can’t handle the pouring of the Holy Spirit unless you change
When we look at Paul’s teaching of Baptism in Romans 6, when we are immersed into the water, it’s symbolic of our old self dead and being buried with Christ. As Paul says “Our Old Self was crucified with Him, so that the body of Sin may be rendered powerless” (Romans 6:6) This is exactly what Jesus is teaching about, your old self is dead to sin, and your new self has been raised with Christ (Romans 6:11) Walk in the newness of life (Romans 6:4) Paul didn’t say walk as you were , or your fine the way that you are, no your old self died and you have been raised new with Christ
Going back to the New Wine, remember when Jesus changed the water into wine (John 2) This was not a coincidence, this was an illustration of the transformation of Christ by becoming Born Again. You are not going to be Born Again living in a sinful body, an intoxicated body, you need to be set free from sin and that can only happen through Jesus Christ! Amen!
Luke 19- Den of Thieves
Matthew 9- The Calling
And as Jesus passed forth from thence, he saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he saith unto him, Follow me. And he arose, and followed him. And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples. Matthew 9:9-10
When Jesus called his Apostles, what was he looking for? Christ wasn’t looking for theological knowledge, otherwise he would have called some Pharisees or Sauducees, no Jesus called on regular people, fishermen and tax collectors like Matthew. What qualities are Jesus looking for? Faithfulness, obedience, humble, ect these are qualities you don’t need a Master degree to obtain. To understand the amazement of God’s calling to become Born Again, we need to understand who Christs disciples were and what they accomplished because they followed The Lord
Today we look at Matthew, a tax collector, now that might not seem like a big deal to be a Jewish tax collector but when your understand what Matthew was really a part of , you could say he was the chief of all sinners. Think about it a Jewish man working for the evil oppressive Roman government enslaving his own people in poverty and persecution. Now when you put it that way, yeah it sounds really bad because it was. Matthews conversion to Christianity was just as miraculous as Pauls , I’m sure when most Jews saw Matthew with Christ and his Jewish disciples, they probably cringed or doubted the authenticity of Matthew
Notice it lists the “publicans” or tax collectors with sinners. The tax collectors , like Matthew, were the scum of the Earth. List the tax collectors with the prostitutes and lepers, these are the outcasts, these are the outsiders, however Jesus is going to call them and make them fishers of Men
And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto his disciples, Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners? But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. Matthew 9:11-13
The religious leaders wanted to know “Why does this Holy man eat with sinners”! Jesus said “He didn’t come for the righteous but to bring sinners to repentance” The Great Physician came to fix some souls, Christ didn’t come for the 99 , he came for the lost sheep to bring them home to our Heavenly Father
When Jesus called Matthew, it said “He arose and followed him” Matthew immediately answered the calling, He didn’t say I’ll get back to you or check his options, when Christ said Follow me, Matthew followed him, that was his main qualification, faith and obedience. The rest is history including this gospel which Matthew recorded for our edification and learning
Is Jesus calling you today? Get up and follow him, don’t worry about your past or don’t worry about your qualifications, The Lord will make you Born Again and a Fisher of Men, Amen!
Do Jehovah Witnesses partake in Communion?
Luke 18- Be Humbled
Matthew 9- Healed or Forgiven?
And he entered into a ship, and passed over, and came into his own city. And, behold, they brought to him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee. And, behold, certain of the scribes said within themselves, This man blasphemeth. Matthew 9:1-3
There are many who say “Jesus never said that He is God” , it’s apparent that those people either don’t know the Bible or they don’t understand the Bible. In our reading today, Jesus makes it very clear He is God in the flesh (John 1:14) So we begin our story, with a paralyzed man being brought to Christ to be healed. Now notice what the scripture says “Jesus seeing their faith” this whole miracle happened with Christ because the people had faith in Christ. Faith is key in our spiritual lives to walk with God
Jesus says “Son, be of good cheer, your sins are forgiven” Now Jesus is demonstrating his deity here. First notice, Jesus said “Your sins are forgiven” So this brings up the question, who can forgive sins? Well the common sense and correct answer is only God can forgive sins. There is no human except Christ who can truly forgive sins, regardless of what man-made religion or tradition may have taught. The religious leaders understood what Jesus was saying that’s why they said “This man is blaspheming” (v3)
And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts? For whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and walk? But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house. And he arose, and departed to his house. But when the multitudes saw it, they marvelled, and glorified God, which had given such power unto men. Matthew 9:4-8
The Son of Man has the power to forgive sins and heal people! The Son of Man as described by the prophet Daniel (Daniel 7) This is Christ proclaiming He is God in the flesh, if you can’t see how Jesus is proclaiming to be God you are not understanding the scriptures. The religious leaders clearly understood what Christ was saying, that’s why they charged him with blasphemy and wanted him killed. Another thing to notice is, when Jesus heals he doesn’t pray to God and then they are healed. Christ heals them himself, because Christ has the power and authority of God
But when the multitudes saw it they marveled and praised God, Jesus wasn’t doing ordinary things. Christ is Immanuel, God is with us, the power of Heaven has come down to Earth. Another thing to ponder, Jesus forgave the man’s sins and physically healed him. If Jesus just healed the man, his soul could still be dead in sin, however Christ has the power to bring the spiritually dead back to life, that’s why Christ is the true Great Physician
Jesus has the power and authority to forgive sin because Christ is the Lamb of God who paid the debt for our sins, because Jesus Christ is God in the Flesh (John 1:14) Amen!
Jesus In The Old Testament
Luke 17- Days of Noah
Matthew 8- Demons Tremble
And when he was come to the other side into the country of the Gergesenes, there met him two possessed with devils, coming out of the tombs, exceeding fierce, so that no man might pass by that way. And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time? And there was a good way off from them an herd of many swine feeding. So the devils besought him, saying, If thou cast us out, suffer us to go away into the herd of swine. Matthew 8:28-31
When you ask the average Christian, what are your thoughts on demons and angels? Many of them either are skeptical or don’t believe in the supernatural at all. It’s amazes me how anyone can be a Born Again Christian and read the Bible, and not accept the supernatural world is real. Angels and Demons are real, Heaven and Hell are real, you have a soul. My concern with this lack of belief, is not only do you deny scripture, but you are not getting the full picture of the spiritual warfare (Ephesians 6) that is going on right now for your soul, and every soul on this Earth
Here in Matthew, we see the Legion story that is in more detail in Luke. Now in Luke he focuses on just one made possessed with multiple demons named Legion. However here we see there is actually multiple people filled with demons, their behavior is violent and blasphemous. But notice when the demons see Jesus they know exactly who he is and the power Christ has over everything! We read yesterday Jesus has power and authority over the winds and the sea, now we see Christ has the power and authority over all the demons and Satan. Remember every knee will bow down to Christ, not just the saved but also the wicked (Philippians 2)
The demons address Jesus as the Son of God, does that mean they are saved? Of course not, because they reject Christ authority as Lord over them. My point is we have a weak gospel nowadays, where anyone who “believes” in Christ is saved, this is not true or Biblical. You must repent of your sin and be Born Again through Christ to be saved, not just believe who He is. Secondly, notice the demons beg Jesus not to “torment” them, what are they talking about? They are talking about Hell, Christ holds the keys to life , death, and Hell (Revelation 1:17-18)
And he said unto them, Go. And when they were come out, they went into the herd of swine: and, behold, the whole herd of swine ran violently down a steep place into the sea, and perished in the waters. And they that kept them fled, and went their ways into the city, and told every thing, and what was befallen to the possessed of the devils. And, behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus: and when they saw him, they besought him that he would depart out of their coasts. Matthew 8:32-34
Notice again the authority of Christ, the demons begged him to let them enter the pigs and he allowed it. See the demons and Satan are in subjection to Christ. So why are some people possessed with demons then? Because they are not filled with the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6) A Born Again Christians who’s body is the Temple of God can’t be overtaken by demons. However those who reject Christ and open themselves up to demons with worldly sin can easily be overtaken by demons.
Now I know this article may have made you feel uncomfortable or maybe questioned your beliefs, but that is not a bad thing. It’s best we understand the Spiritual War we are in and make sure we are Born Again in Christ, nobody came come to the Father God except through Jesus Christ (John 14:6) Amen
