Posted in Life Inspiration

Great is the mystery, but sweet is the understanding

Written by talk2shari Published September 16, 2024September 16, 2024 Discussion Leave a Comment

I seen a meme this morning that used the gifts given to Jesus to make a “funny”, saying There’s gold, there’s frankensense… but wait, there’s myrrh!” You might have to be an essential oil fanatic like myself to think that’s even funny, but I thought it was hysterical! And it’s how I feel about opening the word of God. There’s treasures to be found, Sense to be made, and so much more!!!!

We can learn about God through our day to day experiences with him. When we seek to follow his commands, we learn new things about him and his values and why this world is so insane. It is through His word that learn we can rely on Him for everything in our lives, and then we discover that there is so much more to God than we ever imagined.

I hesitate this morning to even write about Matthew, because it’s not like I would have one iota of understanding of him. He was a numbers guy, a tax collector. I’m not a numbers gal. I would imagine that Matthew was a very logical thinking guy. Everything had to add up! But when it comes to Jesus, there’s nothing logical about it, even though everything certainly aligns.

Matthew 9:9-12 KJV

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. [10] 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. [11] And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto his disciples, Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners? [12] But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick.

The Pharisees saw Matthew and his tax buddies setting with Jesus and they couldn’t understand the logic of hanging out with such a low class of people. They viewed those people as unworthy of their company. But Christ knew their lifestyle and viewed it as an opportunity to build His church. He then used a very simplistic analogy for the religious Pharisees to understand, that just as the sick need a doctor, the lost need a Savior. This was logic that Matthew and his friends understood, just as anyone of any other personality and ability can understand. It is instilled in the heart of man, that there’s more to life. Or myrrh, as the comedian said!

So much more!

1 Timothy 3:16 KJV

And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.

Great is the mystery, but sweet is the understanding.

Timothy knew what Matthew had learned. Matthew through his first hand knowledge of being with Jesus in the flesh. And Timothy, through his first hand knowledge of being with Jesus in the Spirit.

It wasn’t up for debate

Matthew and Timothy had both experienced Jesus! And so have I. When I first became saved in 1996, I couldn’t get enough of Jesus. I wanted to hang out with preachers and teachers everyday. I met with them for breakfast, I was in church at every opportunity, and not only my own church, but anyone else’s that was having a revival meeting. There was no question that Jesus was God and He was very real, because His presence was so obvious in my life.

In those days when Jesus walked the earth, there were eye witnesses to Him, and the miracles that He performed. As far as Timothy was concerned there was no controversy.

We live in a world of controversy. Someone is always wanting to argue about something, especially when it comes to faith or morality. But for Timothy, neither were up for debate because he knew Jesus and knew the teaching of Jesus because he stayed in his word and with his people.

I know for a fact that if I’m struggling to deal with something in my life it’s almost always because I’m out of God’s word. Oh, I’ll still have struggles, but if I stay in God’s word He’ll help me makes sense of it all.

Timothy preached a 5 point message in that one verse of 3:16

Justified in the Spirit

Upon salvation a child of God receives the Spirit of God within themselves for the constant guidance of the Lord Himself. It’s not up for debate. The Lord speaks everyday. But are we listening.

Seen of Angels

I find it hysterical, not really funny, but ridiculous that the world loves the cute little cherubs or the beautifully ornate angels statues. But most people do not understand the purpose of these God created beings. They were created to glorify and praise God. They serve Him and He gave them spiritual abilities that could go far as killing 185,000 soldiers (2 Kings 18:35). Angels are indeed gloriously beautiful. They’re always mentioned as male in the Bible. Not female as they’re mostly imaged in todays society.

Preached to the Gentiles

This was the hardest thing for those Pharisees to understand. Jesus loved sinners and thats how they viewed Gentiles. They didn’t deserve salvation. Tell me that’s not how we often look at the lowest and vilest of people in the world today. The rapist, murderer, child molesters… they don’t deserve Jesus, right? No, that is who Jesus came to save and you and I are in that group. Everyone is a sinner. There are no righteous people until they have accepted the Lord’s death, burial and resurrection and then His blood makes them righteous.

Believed on in the World

Another 3:16 verse is John 3:16 that many unsaved can quote.

John 3:16 KJV

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

That’s who Jesus came to save, the entire world. The very world that He created. That’s where people sometimes have a hard time understanding, why would God create a world that was lost? For the same reason that you and I have children. We love them and we want them to love us. Not forcibly, but just because we created them. There is no greater thing in life than the love reciprocated of your children.

Received up into Glory

The last time Jesus was seen in person was when He ascended back to Heaven. Over 500 witnesses watched as He floated off to glory. Many were killed for professing it. Would they have been willing to die for a lie? No, I don’t think so. But it doesn’t matter who believes and who doesn’t in the grand scheme of life with regards to whether or not it happened. It did. And it’s going to happen again when Jesus returns for His church and takes them home to be with Him for eternity.

But what about you? Will you bee received by Him, or will He leave you behind to deal with this earth when evil is released to it’s fullness? Please, make sure you’re saved. Tell your family about Jesus. Do you have questions, then message me! I’ll do my very best to answer you quickly. God bless ya!!! Love ya… mean it.

Posted in Bible Journaling, Christian Service, Evangelism, Life Inspiration

Has the church lost it’s compassion?

Written by talk2shari Published August 9, 2017 Discussion Leave a Comment

Has the church lost its compassion for souls? I don’t really have to wonder. I need only look at my own life for the answer. I get so wrapped up in the “stuff” of the church that I forgo the winning of souls. In n the book of Matthew 9 we see the heart of Jesus that should reflect the hearts of the children of God. When He looked around at the multitudes of people He was moved with compassion. This verse is the precursor to the often quoted 9:37b “The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few.” There is still a multitude, and it is unfortunate that the laborers are still few.

How many souls will we pass today? I’m not always out and about but I thought about the quick run I made yesterday to the local convenience store. Too quick to think about Jesus, I guess. One thing about living in a community the size of ours is we usually know who’s in church and who’s not. The girl behind the counter was not. Where was my compassion?

But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd. ~ Matthew 9:36

Three things I see in Matthew 9:36 that stirs my soul today to serve Him.

The Wanderers

The multitudes of the souls that wander aimlessly in search of something, anything that will give them a sense of belonging and purpose. And we have it but don’t bother to share it. The world is directionally challenged because the church’s GPS is on silent. We have the map to direct them to Heaven, but we’re not doing it. Long before I was saved I knew there was a direction I should be traveling, but deed, I couldn’t find it. The church was silent. No one who came across my path bothered to look at the longing in my eyes to be a part of Heaven. I had a family who loved me, but I knew something was missing. I longed for a sense of purpose and I found it when I found the Heavenly Father. I wandered 34 years before a soul compassionate to move the world was moved enough to tell me about Jesus.

The Weary

They’re fainting. You can see it in their eyes. Everyone struggles. We have no idea on the outside what is going on the inside. I have to wonder today what would have happened yesterday if I had taken the time with that store clerk just to say, I’d like to pray for you if you have a need. I have a feeling she’d have told me, but I didn’t ask.

The Wanting

Just as it was in Jesus’ day, so it is today. The world fills our heads with the vanity of religion. Vanity from the standpoint that it is filled with traditions and obligations as the saints “do what they have to do” for the sake of the church and call it faith. Why would anyone want what the church has today? A body of believers who put God on a schedule and only allow Him to speak to their souls from 11 a.m. to noon on Sunday. A handful come back Sunday evening and Wednesday, but there is a multitude visible to the world who see them having no desire for a relationship with the One called Jesus. The One, who when they’re ask, they’ll say He means everything to them, but in truth doesn’t mean anything to them outside the walls of the church. Why would they want that?

Jesus wept for His community. When’s the last time we wept for ours?

My friend LuAnn drove 5 hours to share the gospel with our community at the barn blast a week or so ago. She has an obedient compassion filled soul. I’ve seen it in the preachers I heard last week and this week. Last night was another night of Revival, week 2 for me. My soul is stirred because I see the compassion in a man to win souls. Tonight is my turn to share the gospel with the teens in my youth group. Tomorrow night is another night of revival. The harvest is plenteous!

Whomever it was that said the eyes are the window to the soul, knew of what they spoke. Take the time to look someone in the eye today, and pray that God would open the door to share the gospel. The Spirit has to lead… but you have to follow to make it happen.

Praying over your lunch… ask the waitress if you can pray for them.

Have a track in your pocket or purse… it’s not doing any good there.

See someone hurting… patch the hole in their heart by sharing a piece of yours.

Posted in Christian Service, Church attendance, Church Unity, Life Inspiration

We don’t patch old britches where I come from

Written by talk2shari Published June 30, 2015June 30, 2015 Discussion Leave a Comment

There is danger in dead religion

What seems like a lifetime ago, almost 20 years, I sat in the midst of dead religion. I didn’t know it, until the first day I sat in the midst of live faith! Tears well up in my soul as I write those words because it breaks my heart to think that there are many people around the world sitting where I once did. They are quite possibly good, saved people, serving Christ in their place; but I was not. I didn’t know the saving grace of Jesus Christ any more than I knew Superman. In my mind I knew of Jesus, but didn’t know Jesus. He was as surreal as Superman himself. I would read (and teach) scripture thinking… wow… that’s an amazing story. It is an amazing story, but at the time my unsaved soul had no spiritual discernment of the Word of God that comes with salvation, so it was just a story. That’s the danger of dead religion.

The scripture becomes just another book. The church becomes just another place. A prayer becomes a ritualistic means of getting “it” done.

Matthew 9:16-17

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.

Patchin’ Old Britches

The disciples of John the Baptist had just questioned why Jesus’ disciples did not fast and carry out the ritualistic practices of the Pharisees. And to country quote my Lord, He said, we don’t patch old britches where I come from. That thought tickled me. The Pharisees put so much stock in their religious practices that their relationship with God was not a relationship at all, but merely a “get it done” method of behavior. Where they came from was all they could think about, not where they were going. The new that was happening was making them very uncomfortable. And for Jesus to put His new disciples in with the old works of the Pharisees would have been to Him like patchin’ a old pair of britches that were worn out. The new converts would have become a part of weak, worn out group of people. Jesus disciples were hanging out the Lord, the Bridegroom as mentioned in verse 15. They had a new relationship with the Lord who was in their midst. The Pharisees had lost their relationship with the Lord through ceremonial living.

New Wine and Old Bottles

The Pharisees represented empty vessels. Jesus said in Matthew 23:27 – “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness.”

Putting new wine in an old bottle would have been like putting a live person in the tomb of the dead. A new convert sitting in a church filled with lifeless Christians is no different. You’ll become one of them, just an empty vessel, looking pretty, but filling no one’s soul. You need fellowship with Christ and His people who are filled with the newness of life that never grows old.

I hope today finds you as a part of a church that is carrying out the mission of God, which is to bring people to the knowledge of Christ and His salvation and then disciple them to bringing others to the knowledge of Christ and His salvation. That jug of wine never gets old!!!

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