Author: Stephanie Wolfe

 

Why do we give thanks?

In her book One Thousand Gifts, Ann Voskamp says, “This is the crux of Christianity: to remember and give thanks, eucharisteo. Why? Why is remembering and giving thanks the core of the Christ-faith? Because remembering with thanks is what causes us to trust; to really believe. Re-membering, giving thanks, is what makes us a member again of the body of Christ. Re-membering, giving thanks is what puts us back together again in this hurried, broken, fragmented world.”

In Luke 17:15, one of ten lepers that is healed returns to Jesus and gives thanks.

Lets read what happens in Luke 17 verses 11-19:
11-As Jesus continued on toward Jerusalem, he reached the border between Galilee and Samaria.
12-As he entered a village there, ten lepers stood at a distance,
13-crying out, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!”
14-He looked at them and said, “Go show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, their leprosy disappeared.
15-One of them, when he saw that he was healed, came back to Jesus, shouting, “Praise God, I’m healed!
16-He fell face down on the ground at Jesus’ feet, thanking him for what he had done. This man was a Samaritan.
17-Jesus asked, “Didn’t I heal ten men? Where are the other nine?
18-Does only this foreigner return to give glory to God?”
19-And Jesus said to the man, “Stand up and go. Your faith has made you well.”
I would like to think that I would be like the one man that went back to Jesus to say “Thank You”. I wonder what the other 9 men thought when they saw this man running back to Jesus? Did they see him fall to his knees and give thanks? It took extra time for this man to run back to Jesus and not to his family and loved ones from whom he had been estranged. He took that time and for that he was rewarded by Jesus. Thankfulness is sometimes time-consuming. It means we have to be aware of giving thanks to God and pause to tell him “Thank You”. Are we too busy in our days to take the time to do this? To always give thanks in all circumstances, especially the big ones like this, the curing of leprosy. But, how many times does something happen in my life in which I am grateful, but neglect to give Jesus the glory and thanks that He deserves? Probably more times than I care to admit.

Eucaristeo means thanksgiving. Within this word are the greek words: Charis, which means Grace and the word Chara, which means joy. A life of gratitude brings transformation. By coming to Jesus and falling at His feet to thank Him, the man with leprosy received something greater than physical healing, he also was saved from his sins. His nine friends were declared clean by the priest, but he was declared saved by the Son of God.

What miracles are we missing when we do not Thank God for the gifts that He bestows upon us?

What do I need to thank God for today?

 

When I first read through Luke 3 earlier this week, I had a moment of excitement that the last 23-38 verses were all just names. That meant that I would only have to look at the first 22 verses and give a summary of them. I hate to admit that I like to take the easy way out when possible. Well, now that I have studied this passage for 4+ days, I realized how important that list of names really is and want to walk you through the verses leading up to the genealogy:

1)  The chapter opens up listing all the powerful leaders of this     time, but John the Baptist has been chosen above them all to “prepare the way” for Jesus.

2) John the Baptist prepares the way for the coming Messiah. John reminds the people that when you believe, you need to produce fruit. He told them to do 5 things:
*If you have two coats, give one to the poor.
*If you have food, share it with those who are hungry.
*To the corrupt tax collectors, he said, show your honesty, make sure you collect no more taxes than the Roman government requires you to.
*To the soldiers, he said, don’t extort money, and don’t accuse people of things        you know they didn’t do.
*And be content with your pay.

3) Jesus was then baptized by John the Baptist in the Jordan River. This baptism represented the official start of His ministry. He began his ministry at 30 years old. He patiently waited all those years and trusted the Lord for his life and his ministry to begin.

4) The main reason for the baptism of Jesus was when the Lord came up from the water, the Father spoke from heaven and identified Him as the beloved Son of God. The Spirit visibly came upon Jesus in the form of a Dove.

But…what really caught my attention were the final 16 verses filled with the genealogy of Jesus Christ. These 16 verses are filled with 77 names of family genealogy. Luke takes a different approach and begins with Jesus and moves backward to Adam. He gives us the lineage through His mother Mary (which is unusual for this time) but used Jospeh’s name. It was known that Heli (verse 23) was Mary’s father, so when people read this, they knew that they were reading Mary’s genealogy. Luke wants to show that Jesus was a man and fully human. By putting the genealogy here, Luke reminded us that the Son of God was also the Son of man. This reminds us that Jesus truly identified with the needs and problems of all mankind.

God knows all these names that led to the birth of Jesus and His ministry on earth. God tells all the people that this is His Son! I think we all need to be reminded again and again that Jesus walked this earth and experienced life just as we do today. God put this list here for a reason. God foretold of John the Baptist and the Messiah coming,  just as He had all of these names and that Jesus would come from these families many years ago.  He knows our name and has a plan for our lives too.

Do WE Believe??

Mark 6 is about believing God.

Verses 1-6 describe how Jesus went back to Nazareth and the people (his family and neighbors) did not believe that He was the Son of God. They knew him as a carpenter, a family member, or a neighbor. They could not figure out where he got all of his wisdom and the power to perform such miracles. Because of the people’s unbelief, Jesus did not perform many miracles in Nazareth.

Verses7-13 Jesus sent out the disciples 2×2 to proclaim the gospel. He sent them together so that they could encourage each other, especially when they faced rejection. He instructed the disciples to “shake off the dust from your feet” when someone rejects what you have to say. This was a sign that they were to remain separate from people who had rejected Jesus and his message. They were only responsible for sharing the message of salvation, they were not responsible for the people who chose not to believe.

Verses 14-29 tells of Herod and his murdering of John the Baptist. Herod did not believe that Jesus was the son of God, but thought that he might be John the Baptist come back to life.

Verses 30-36 The apostles returned to Jesus from their ministry tour and Jesus took them away to rest. They were very excited to share with Him all that took place and about those who made a decision to believe.

Verses 37-44 Jesus asked the disciples to provide food for over 5000 people. They were worried about how much money it would cost to feed so many people. They were given an impossible task, to feed 5000 with only 5 loaves of bread. They did not believe that God would do the impossible.

Verses 45-52 Jesus made the disciples get back in the boat while he went into the hills to pray. Hours later, Jesus saw them struggling to row the boat against the wind. He came to them, walking on the water. The disciples saw him and did not believe it was Him, they thought it was a ghost.

Verses 53-56 The chapter of Mark comes to a close on a positive note. Many people brought the sick to Jesus for healing. These people had faith and believed that Jesus could heal them, and their faith was rewarded. This scene is the opposite to what happened in the beginning of the chapter in Nazareth where very few were healed because the people lacked faith and did not believe.

This chapter is full of beliefs about Jesus, who He is and what He is capable of doing. The people who knew Him the best did not believe that he was the Son of God. He empowered his disciples and sent them out to minister and they did it. They healed and ministered to many, but then did not believe that Jesus could feed 5000 from 5 loaves of bread. Jesus performed a miracle right in front of them for them to witness. Then later that night, the same 12 men were so terrified about the storm that was raging around them, that they thought Jesus was a Ghost. If they would have truly believed that he was God’s Son, they would not have been amazed that Jesus could walk on water. The disciples did not transfer the truth they already knew about Jesus to their own lives.

Do we believe?
We read that Jesus walked on the water, and yet we often marvel that he is able to work in our own life. We must not only believe that these miracles really occurred, but we must also transfer the truth to our own life situations.

I believe that Jesus died on the cross for me and my sins so that I may have life and have it abundantly. (1 Peter 2;24) I believe that He knew me and all the hairs on my head even before I was born! (Luke 12:7)
I believe the Words the Bible says are true! This being said, I find I am much like the disciples here in Mark 6. They knew Jesus, they saw and experienced His teachings and His miracles. And yet, they did did not believe 100%. They did not believe that Jesus would rescue them from the raging storm they were caught in. I also have Jesus’ teachings at my ready and know Him through his Word and have experienced many blessing and even miracles in my life. If I have the Bible as a resource, a personal relationship with Christ, and memories as proof, why, like the disciples, do I doubt and not believe that God has even the smallest details of my life in His hands??
I challenge us all (especially myself) to put these beliefs into practice in every aspect of our lives! He cares for us and wants us to put 100% faith in Him 100% of the time.

This is why…WE BELIEVE…enjoy this song from the Newsboys that reiterates why WE BELIEVE!

It’s amazing what happens when one dives into a chapter of Scripture.  For the past few years I have been diligent at reading short daily devotionals and feeling satisfied that I at least attempted to connect with Jesus.  I would walk away with a good thought or something to ponder.  But, I am amazed at what happens when one sits down with the Bible in hand and actually studies a full chapter for a week!  It has been a while since I have figured out for myself what a passage means and not used somebody else’s interpretation of the Word to inspire me.  This week I have been awestruck at the amount of information in Matthew 21 and all the lessons that stem from these 46 verses.

I want to focus on Matthew 21:12&13                                                     The Cleansing of the Temple

Jesus entered the Temple and began to drive out all the people buying and selling animals for sacrifice.  He knocked over the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling doves.  He said to them, “The Scriptures declare, ‘My Temple will be called a house of prayer, ‘ but you have turned it into a den of thieves!”

A market had been established in part of the temple, the Court of the Gentiles. The merchants set up shop in the temple court for the convenience of those who came from all regions to celebrate Passover and any other celebrations. Foreign Jews could exchange money and purchase sacrifices. What had begun as a service and convenience for visitors from other lands soon turned into a profitable business. The merchants were “robbing” the customers by charging high prices.  The focus of the believers had turned to “making a deal” and away from a “house of prayer” and Jesus was angry. Jesus invaded the temple to restore it to its purpose.

The temple was to be called a “house of prayer.”
The word house refers to a way of life, not necessarily a structure. A house is the place where we live with our families and those we love. We return to our homes on a daily basis (after school, work, appointments, or running errands), it is not a place where we temporarily visit or pass through. I consider myself a home-body. I love to be at home with my husband and three children.  My home is what I know, it is mine.  I can’t imaging if I spent as much time with Jesus in His Word as I do just being in my home! He wants us to be home with him…to make him our house where we live day in and day out.

Prayer is to ask for favor, to urge, or to request something. Prayer humbles us because we have to ask for help and guidance. Prayer invites God into our daily lives, needs and struggles.

To be a House of Prayer, then we need to be at “home” with Jesus, living with him, asking Him for all that we need every day.

The reference “den of thieves” comes from Jeremiah 7:11. A den is where thieves would hide to plot their next adventure and hide from whomever they robbed.  In Jeremiah, the people were hiding in the Temple to cover up their sins.

If Jesus invaded my heart-What would He find? Would He be angry? Would He find I am filling it with worldly finds to try and find peace, fulfillment, and happiness? Would He find that I am more suitable to a den of thieves or a House of Prayer?

Just as 1 Corinthians 6:19 tells us that our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, we are called to be a house of prayer. To live and reside in constant communion with Jesus. Jesus wants to cleanse us of all the BUSINESS that is going on in our heart and restore us to a house of prayer. I want to cleanse my heart daily and not get caught up in the business of life that overshadows his call for me to be a house of prayer.

I am excited to be part of this BibleJournal. I contemplated joining at the beginning of 2016, but did not make the commitment and regretted that decision all year long. Now, a year later, I have been given another opportunity and I have said YES. I cannot promise that my posts will always be entertaining, pertinent, or uplifting. But, I can promise that I will let God direct me and use me in this writing as He leads me.

Matthew 7
This chapter picks up on the Sermon on the Mount and concludes the Sermon on the Mount. There are 7 main points in this chapter including: 1)Rules 2)Encouragements to pray to God for what we need 3)The necessity of strictness in conversation 4)A caution to take heed of false prophets 5)The conclusion of the whole Sermon on the Mount and 6)The impression which Christ’s doctrine made upon his hearers.

I would like to focus on point 2…Encouragements to pray to God for what we need.
Matthew 7:7-8 (NLT)
“Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.”

ASK, SEEK, KNOCK

Jesus is asking us to do three different things, using three different senses.

Asking is verbal. We have to ask God with our mouth for our needs and desires. Just as we talk over issues of our day with our spouse or friends, God wants us to talk with Him with the issues and needs which are heavy on our hearts and minds. He wants to be in constant communication with us.

We are to seek with our minds, this is more that just asking. This is looking inwardly at our heart and setting our priorities to what God would have for us. We have to begin to look around for ways that God might answer our prayers. After we ask God for something, the next thing we must do is start looking around with eyes of faith for how God might be providing answers to the issues we have discussed with Him.

Asking and seeking would be incomplete without the third instruction, knocking. To knock involves physical movement, one in which we must take action. This is stepping out in faith and knocking on the doors that present themselves. When we seek, we seek possible answers with eyes of faith. And when we knock, we step out and take risks with faith by checking out the opportunities that were brought to our attention during the seeking phase.

God wants a constant relationship with us. When we continually seek Him and talk with Him, He begins to guide our steps and open the doors He has planned for us. Just because we ask, seek, and knock, does not mean that God will always open the door and give us what we are asking for. The answer after knocking may be “no” or “not yet”. This is how the continual communication that God desires comes into play. We must continue to ask and seek, this is how we develop the intimate relationship with our Father.

Currently, I can relate Matthew 7 verses 7&8 in my own life. I have been a stay-at-home mom for the past 19 years. Now as my oldest has headed off to college, I have begun to ask God what is next for me. Through my asking, a few options came about.  I began to seek more information to see if they were good fits for my desires and skills. I have had 2 opportunities in the past few months that I thought were perfect fits, so I stepped out and knocked on those doors. I was shocked (and still am a bit confused) when neither of those doors opened and the answer was no on both accounts. So, does that mean I quit asking and seeking and just wallow in my days? No, Matthew tells us to keep on asking, seeking, and knocking. Sometimes it takes persistent faith to receive God’s promises. God will open the door and give us the desires of our heart (Psalm 37:4). Our desires are conformed to His desires through constant communication. We have to keep the faith that at the appointed time, God will reveal the plans He has for me and you.