If this is the first page you clicked on check back to the first day of the ninety-two day chronological reading plan of the New Testament. "DAY ONE" If you want the whole plan day by day and not wait find it here at Shalom in the wilderness
Day Five: Matthew 4:;Luke 4:;Luke 5:;John 1:15-51
Yesterday we read some brief accounts of healing and expelling of evil spirits as well as learned that when Jesus was baptized the Holy Spirit descended on him, remained with him, and took him away to the wilderness for preparation of his ministry. First and foremost the simplest message I can take from this reading is that resisting evil will make the devil flee and Jesus makes it look simple with God's word. Isn't this the message though, to use the word of God to overcome evil and the wicked behaviors that come with it? Yesterday I asked if the most wicked people could be redeemed or if they would be cut of forever with no hope and last night I received a message through the Old Testament reading that I do on my own. The chapters in Ezekiel I read were 33-34 which went with this theme of being freed by a shepherd that would seek and find his lost sheep. In addition, that there would be a warning from the called by a trumpet to help those who were being wicked in order for them to change their ways since heavenly father did not get pleasure of death of the behaving wicked but would rather them turn and live. Many will claim the father as unjust because of the wicked who do die but it is the truth that he treats those who do wickedness who turn away from their sins to do righteousness just like children when they seek his will for good, and casts off those who were righteous but turn to do injustice to death.
Ezekiel 33: 17-20
Matthew 4:3-10
Matthew 4:15-16
Luke 4
One thing that we can be sure of while we are learning and following Jesus is that people will do anything to try to catch you in hypocrisy or ignorance. We live in a spiteful world to say the least, so often more times than not, if you read everyday and really study with all your heart the more you are tested by those who do not and may have not ever tried to understand. I get there are a lot of preach savvy people who know how to speak cleverly and deceive those less knowing. It is also a fact that religion and man are a corrupted combination and actually more times than not have lead people astray from their uncleanness in teachings. Sadly, it's way too easy to fall away when we are not strong and guarded in our hearts. We are to build our Armour if we ever expect to concur those kinds of demons. There are even impersonators for everything which we can refer to as wolves in sheep's clothing. With growth there comes discernment and we should not have to worry about being deceived because as long as we are not the ones doing the deceiving we will not have a hard time seeing or being what is not Christ like.
In Luke 5 we see the first mention of parable. These stories are my favorite by far, so incredibly challenging though seemingly simple through deep meaning. Someone decides to push Jesus' buttons by asking what makes his disciples so special in that they do not have to fast but John's does. I love how Jesus always asks a question and tells a story because those who understand will see and those will not. He mentions that while he is there, the bridegroom, there is no reason to fast but only when he is not. The parable suggests that the old does not mesh well with the new and suggests aged wine is better literally that the old is better. This one is a tough one for me to comprehend seeing that we do not want to get rid of the old but we do not want to take what is new and use something old to store it. We also do not want to take something old and use something new to mend it expecting that it will be the same.
Luke 5:36-39 (Also seen in Mark 2: 21-22)
2 Corinthians 5:17
Rev 21.5
Similar verses here
Day Five: Matthew 4:;Luke 4:;Luke 5:;John 1:15-51
Yesterday we read some brief accounts of healing and expelling of evil spirits as well as learned that when Jesus was baptized the Holy Spirit descended on him, remained with him, and took him away to the wilderness for preparation of his ministry. First and foremost the simplest message I can take from this reading is that resisting evil will make the devil flee and Jesus makes it look simple with God's word. Isn't this the message though, to use the word of God to overcome evil and the wicked behaviors that come with it? Yesterday I asked if the most wicked people could be redeemed or if they would be cut of forever with no hope and last night I received a message through the Old Testament reading that I do on my own. The chapters in Ezekiel I read were 33-34 which went with this theme of being freed by a shepherd that would seek and find his lost sheep. In addition, that there would be a warning from the called by a trumpet to help those who were being wicked in order for them to change their ways since heavenly father did not get pleasure of death of the behaving wicked but would rather them turn and live. Many will claim the father as unjust because of the wicked who do die but it is the truth that he treats those who do wickedness who turn away from their sins to do righteousness just like children when they seek his will for good, and casts off those who were righteous but turn to do injustice to death.
Ezekiel 33: 17-20
17 "Yet your countrymen say, 'The way of the Lord is not just.' But it is their way that is not just.18 If a righteous man turns from his righteousness and does evil, he will die for it. 19 And if a wicked man turns away from his wickedness and does what is just and right, he will live by doing so. 20 Yet, O house of Israel, you say, 'The way of the Lord is not just.' But I will judge each of you according to his own ways."Ezekiel 34: 16, 31
16 I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak, but the sleek and the strong I will destroy. I will shepherd the flock with justice.
31 You my sheep, the sheep of my pasture, are people, and I am your God, declares the Sovereign LORD.' "Nothing is more wicked then Satan and evil are his intentions. While in the wilderness, Jesus resists the evil one with the power of scripture which allows us to overcome Satan with the Lord's name, Jesus Christ. In Both Matthew 4 and Luke 4 the devil tested Jesus three different times to deceive him but he failed and was forced to flee. The three things we can attest to temptation were hunger of the flesh, power of rule for worship, and testing God by throwing self down to death in order to be saved. All of these which Jesus gracefully overcomes simply by knowing his father's commands, being obedient to his will and honoring him.
Matthew 4:3-10
3 The tempter came to him and said, "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread." 4 Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.' " 5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. 6 "If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down. For it is written: " 'He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.' " 7 Jesus answered him, "It is also written: 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.' " 8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor.9 "All this I will give you," he said, "if you will bow down and worship me." 10 Jesus said to him,"Away from me, Satan! For it is written: 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.'Jesus coming out of the desert is now ministering and healing in full force. He learns that John was imprisoned and even though it is distressing to him he carries on. Here he comes to a synagogue on the Sabbath and astonishes and infuriates many, he is actually chased out eventually because of his words but obviously escapes and slips through the chaos. He reads and proclaims prophesy fulfilled from Isiah which expresses that he is a light shining in the darkness, more specifically "the shadow of death". I know I feel like I live in this shadow and although it is very dark I see that light shining through it which darkness cannot understand.
Matthew 4:15-16
15 "Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the way to the sea, along the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles-- 16 the people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned."Luke 4: 18;19
18 "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."Indeed the year of great favor for there is everlasting life and we are redeemed through faith and confessing that Jesus is the Son of God. Even demons know he is the messiah and have confessed that he is the Christ.
Luke 4
41 Moreover, demons came out of many people, shouting, "You are the Son of God!" But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew he was the Christ.John the baptist is questioned and interrogated in who he is and denies he is the Christ and proclaims his testimony of Jesus being the Messiah. It would have been really neat to see John and Jesus minister, baptize and heal together though there is a purpose in that he went before him not with him.
One thing that we can be sure of while we are learning and following Jesus is that people will do anything to try to catch you in hypocrisy or ignorance. We live in a spiteful world to say the least, so often more times than not, if you read everyday and really study with all your heart the more you are tested by those who do not and may have not ever tried to understand. I get there are a lot of preach savvy people who know how to speak cleverly and deceive those less knowing. It is also a fact that religion and man are a corrupted combination and actually more times than not have lead people astray from their uncleanness in teachings. Sadly, it's way too easy to fall away when we are not strong and guarded in our hearts. We are to build our Armour if we ever expect to concur those kinds of demons. There are even impersonators for everything which we can refer to as wolves in sheep's clothing. With growth there comes discernment and we should not have to worry about being deceived because as long as we are not the ones doing the deceiving we will not have a hard time seeing or being what is not Christ like.
In Luke 5 we see the first mention of parable. These stories are my favorite by far, so incredibly challenging though seemingly simple through deep meaning. Someone decides to push Jesus' buttons by asking what makes his disciples so special in that they do not have to fast but John's does. I love how Jesus always asks a question and tells a story because those who understand will see and those will not. He mentions that while he is there, the bridegroom, there is no reason to fast but only when he is not. The parable suggests that the old does not mesh well with the new and suggests aged wine is better literally that the old is better. This one is a tough one for me to comprehend seeing that we do not want to get rid of the old but we do not want to take what is new and use something old to store it. We also do not want to take something old and use something new to mend it expecting that it will be the same.
Luke 5:36-39 (Also seen in Mark 2: 21-22)
36 He told them this parable: "No one tears a patch from a new garment and sews it on an old one. If he does, he will have torn the new garment, and the patch from the new will not match the old. 37 And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the new wine will burst the skins, the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. 38No, new wine must be poured into new wineskins. 39 And no one after drinking old wine wants the new, for he says, 'The old is better.'Mending new fabric to old would not be beneficial just like putting new wine in old skins since one would cause the other not to be all that it can be or possibly ruin the purpose of the other. I also think it's important, before I mention what came to mind reflecting on this parable, to note that in this parable it states that the old is better which reminds us that letting something age, gaining experience in and preparing brings the best product. Then a thought came to mind pondering this reading on the way to work, it had me thinking instead of taking the parable literally for the use of cloth or wine maybe it has to do with God's teachings as a whole which got me thinking of substituting the words for something that is related to his doctrine. So thinking on things of old and old wine skins my mind started thinking about some words and things such as old covenants, statutes, heaven and earth are the things that came to mind. When using this relativity it then started making me think about verses that talk about forming these things of new in scripture. The first verse I thought of was:
2 Corinthians 5:17
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!Then immediately I decided to search other ones similar which also helped confirm the message to me through this parable such as:
Rev 21.5
5 He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”Isaiah 42:9
Behold, the former things have come to pass, And *new* things I declare; Before they spring forth I tell you of themIsaiah 65:17
"For behold, I create *new* heavens and a *new* earth; And the former shall not be remembered or come to mind."Everyone's walk in faith and truth is different and the holy spirit speaks to us in different ways as well. Maybe this parable says something different to you. I would love to learn what it is.
Similar verses here
