90th Week, Matthew Chapters 21-22 (Click on the Title for a Video Introducton)
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Matthew 21A
Verses 5 & 13
Delores Little
Verse 5: Say to the Daughter of Zion, “See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”
Verse 13: “It is written.” He said to them, “My house will be called a house of prayer, but you are making it a den of robbers.”
THOUGHT
1. Jesus triumphal entry into Jerusalem
2. Jesus at the temple
King David rode on a donkey, not a horse, and the other kings did also in the Old Testament. Can you see how the people praised Him as He came into the city and how the priests must have been so angry at this? What I have always believed was that this colt was never ridden before. Christ was the first rider and wasn’t thrown off.
Part 2
Do we come with Praise every day on our lips to the King of Kings and worship Him, not only on Sunday but every day of the week? We truly need to as there is such victory in Praises to Him.
Verse 13 says, “He said to them, ‘My house will be called a house of prayer, but you are making it a den of robbers.’” Are we doing that in our churches today? Beth Moore shared in one of her Bible studies that their church in Texas lost its Pastor, and things began coming apart. She said the people went up to the front of the church and got on their knees and began seeking God’s face on what they were to do. She felt it become a house of prayer.
Wouldn’t that be great if all our churches did that? We are trying to get people to come up front for prayer, but most of the time they will not. People are so caught up in what people will think and not in what God would want us to do. God’s Word is truly trying to wake us up to the power of prayer. He already knows what we need before we ask, but He wants us to take that step of faith and go forward.
PRAYER
Father, help us to daily be all You want us to be. Forgive us and let us forgive others. Bless everyone this week and draw us closer each day to You. Teach us Your Word by Your Holy Spirit. In Jesus Name. AMEN
Tuesday, Matthew Chapter 21B (Verses 18-27)
Matthew 21B
Verse 19b & 27
Delores Little
Verse 19b: Then he said to it, “May you never bear fruit again!”
Verse 27: He said, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I Am doing these things.”
THOUGHT
1. Fig tree withers
2. Authority of Jesus questioned
What comes out to me in today’s reading is when Jesus speaks things happen. Verse 19b says, Then He said to it, “May you never bear fruit again!” Immediately the tree withered.
If we refuse to bring forth fruit for His kingdom, doesn’t our faith wither like that tree, and if we don’t fill up with His Word, the same thing happens. Jesus, by using this story, is telling us to be producing fruit every day in one way or another for Him.
I see the fruit others bears way more than myself. I’m so thankful for the ones out there doing this for our Lord.
Part 2
Then Jesus asked the chief priests a question back when they were asking Him by what authority He was doing these things. I love that about Jesus and sure pray I could do the same by responding quickly like Christ. Don’t you like the question he asked them in verse 24 and how they were afraid to answer it? He said, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I Am doing these things.”
Glory to God for sending His Holy Spirit to be our teacher of God’s Word and to teach us how to use it for His Glory - Bringing the good news of Jesus to others.
PRAYER
Father, forgive us if we don’t count on You to lead us daily, through Your Word, prayer and action. Help us every day to be in Your Will, not ours. Heal those who need healing and comfort the ones who lost loved ones. Be with all our service man and women. Bring them home safe and sound, Father. In Jesus Name. AMEN
Wednesday, Matthew Chapter 21C (Verses 28-46)
Matthew 21C
Delores Little
November 30, 2006
THOUGHT
This reading contains two more parables. The first is the parable of the two sons. The next is the one about the tenants.
We will discuss the one regarding the tenants. Jesus is telling the chief priests and Pharisees that He will rent the vineyard to other tenants, the Gentiles, because they refuse to realize who He is. We are very thankful Jesus called us into His vineyard. Does that mean He forgot Israel? No way. He grafted us into the picture with Him to make Israel envious as Romans 11:11 tells us. “Again I ask; did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Not at all! Rather, because of their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles as to make Israel envious.”
Every year I hear of more Jews coming to the Lord, and how I rejoice in that. Now we as believers must pray daily for the Jewish nation to realize that Jesus is the Messiah and for the Peace of Jerusalem.
In the 70’s I baby sat a Jewish woman’s little girl. I would read the Word to her, and that would upset the mother. I soon found out how hard it is to be a light to them. I think of them off and on and wonder what ever happened to them. The girl would be around 39 years old now.
We need training in how to witness to all people from all over the world. We really have to Praise God for the ones in the field all over the world bringing the Word of God to others.
PRAYER
Father, help and teach us how and what to say to people who have not been introduced to Your Gospel. Let Your Holy Spirit speak out of us. Bless the Salt Shakers with a wonderful week end. AMEN
Thursday, Matthew Chapter 22A (Verses 1-14)
Matthew 22A
Verse 14
Jane Jones
Verse 14: For many are invited, but few are chosen.
THOUGHT
This scripture was used for an illustration today during our teaching in church. How awesome to come home and read it again for Salt Shakers.
Can you imagine how you would feel if you sent out l00 wedding invitations for your very own wedding, and not one person came to the celebration, the grandest celebration of your entire life. You received no RSVPs’ at all. So you called them all up and personally invited them to a feast, a dinner that had especially been prepared for them. Your guests still said no. Would you not just feel absolutely crushed, very sadden, that your family and friends could not take one moment to share your grandest moment with you and your bride or groom.
So the story goes on. Since the banquet was prepared, they went out into the streets to gather up the people to be the guests. There were good and bad people that filled the wedding hall. In the events of the evening one guest was spotted without wedding attire. He was taken and cast outside, into the darkness of the night.
This parable is about the invitation of the Lord to us to join him at his banquet which will last for eternity. That is why in this parable he invites people again and again. He wants us to be sure and come.
The invitation still stands. Have your accepted this invitation? The wedding clothes picture the righteousness needed to enter God’s kingdom. Christ has provided this garment of righteousness for everyone, but each person must choose to put it on in order to enter the King’s banquet.
Family, there is an open invitation, but we must be ready. Can you drop what you are doing right this very moment to come to God’s banquet table? Are you dressed in righteousness?
Revelation 3:20: “Here I am. I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.”
Is the Lord knocking at your door? He wants you to partake of His feast, the banquet of eternal life.
PRAYER
Thank You, Lord, for Your gift of the Christ Child. The season is a wonderful time to reflect on this marvelous gift. Thank You for Your invitation to Your banquet. We pray that our daily walk with You will be clothed in righteousness. AMEN
Friday, Matthew Chapter 22B (Verses 15-46)
Matthew 22B
Verses 37-40
Jane Jones
Verses 37-40: Jesus replied, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.
THOUGHT
When you read this part of Chapter 22, you can hardly not pick these verses. The greatest commands to us of all times are these two. First love your God and second love your neighbor. Sounds so very simple. So why is it so very difficult?
We find that by fulfilling these two commands, a person keeps all the others. They summarize the Ten Commandments and the other Old Testament moral laws.
Jesus says that if we truly love God and our neighbor, we will naturally keep the commandments. This is looking at God’s law positively. Rather than worry about all we should not do, we should concentrate on all we can do to show our love for God and others.
Sometimes we concentrate so hard on answers to all the questions we have, as did the Religious Leaders, that we lose sight of the simplicity of Christianity and the belief in Jesus. He did not make it hard. He only gave us two rules to follow. 1) Love God 2) Love Neighbor.
KISS (Keep it simple, Salt Shakers)
PRAYER
Father, we long for simplicity in our relationship with You. Please help us to follow Your commandments and not question to the point of doubting and testing You. Please help us to manage our time so we can focus on a better kinship with You. Release us from the clutter of unimportant activities that infringe on our time and attention. We pray that we will set aside quiet time for reflection and communication with You. Thank You for making it so simple for us. AMEN
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