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Matthew 11:1 After Yeshua had finished instructing the twelve talmidim, he went on from there to teach and preach in the towns nearby.
2 Meanwhile, Yochanan the Immerser, who had been put in prison, heard what the Messiah had been doing; so he sent a message to him through his talmidim, 3 asking, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for someone else?” 4 Yeshua answered, “Go and tell Yochanan what you are hearing and seeing — 5 the blind are seeing again, the lame are walking, people with tzara’at are being cleansed, the deaf are hearing,[a] the dead are being raised,[b] the Good News is being told to the poor[c] — 6 and how blessed is anyone not offended by me!”
7 As they were leaving, Yeshua began speaking about Yochanan to the crowds: “What did you go out to the desert to see? Reeds swaying in the breeze? 8 No? then what did you go out to see? Someone who was well dressed? Well-dressed people live in kings’ palaces. 9 Nu, so why did you go out? To see a prophet! Yes! and I tell you he’s much more than a prophet. 10 This is the one about whom the Tanakh says,
‘See, I am sending out my messenger ahead of you;
he will prepare your way before you.’[d]
11 Yes! I tell you that among those born of women there has not arisen anyone greater than Yochanan the Immerser! Yet the one who is least in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than he! 12 From the time of Yochanan the Immerser until now, the Kingdom of Heaven has been suffering violence; yes, violent ones are trying to snatch it away. 13 For all the prophets and the Torah prophesied until Yochanan. 14 Indeed, if you are willing to accept it, he is Eliyahu, whose coming was predicted. 15 If you have ears, then hear!
16 “Oh, what can I compare this generation with? They’re like children sitting in the marketplaces, calling out to each other,
17 ‘We made happy music,
but you wouldn’t dance!
We made sad music,
but you wouldn’t cry!’
18 For Yochanan came, fasting, not drinking — so they say, ‘He has a demon.’ 19 The Son of Man came, eating freely and drinking wine — so they say, ‘Aha! A glutton and a drunkard! A friend of tax-collectors and sinners!’ Well, the proof of wisdom is in the actions it produces.”
20 Then Yeshua began to denounce the towns in which he had done most of his miracles, because the people had not turned from their sins to God. 21 “Woe to you, Korazin! Woe to you, Beit-Tzaidah! Why, if the miracles done in you had been done in Tzor and Tzidon, they would long ago have put on sackcloth and ashes as evidence that they had changed their ways. 22 But I tell you it will be more bearable for Tzor and Tzidon than for you on the Day of Judgment! 23 And you, K’far-Nachum, will you be exalted to heaven? No, you will be brought down to Sh’ol![e] For if the miracles done in you had been done in S’dom, it would still be in existence today. 24 But I tell you that on the Day of Judgment it will be more bearable for the land of S’dom than for you!”
25 It was at that time that Yeshua said, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you concealed these things from the sophisticated and educated and revealed them to ordinary folks. 26 Yes, Father, I thank you that it pleased you to do this.
27 “My Father has handed over everything to me. Indeed, no one fully knows the Son except the Father, and no one fully knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.
28 “Come to me, all of you who are struggling and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.[f] 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”[Footnotes:
Matthew 11:5 Isaiah 35:5–6
Matthew 11:5 Isaiah 26:19
Matthew 11:5 Isaiah 61:1
Matthew 11:10 Malachi 3:1
Matthew 11:23 Isaiah 14:13, 15
Matthew 11:29 Jeremiah 6:16]
Things happen in our lives that do not always make sense, and at times we wonder where God is in these circumstances. Sometimes there are times when we needed answers from God and it seems as if He is silent. There are even times when it seems as if God is sitting on His hands or dragging His feet, causing us to momentarily entertain thoughts of doubt. You may be surprised to know that even some of the greatest men and women in Scripture doubted at one point. God deals with doubt differently for each individual.
PRACTICAL PRINCIPLES
1. He refocuses our priorities. Sometimes we get things out of perspective; but God will never rebuke or reject us, instead He just corrects our thinking.
2. He uses Scripture to speak to us. When we are going through hardships, we do not need pious platitudes or silly sayings; instead we need the Word of God. His Word alone will give us hope that will resound in our soul.
3. He has a purpose. When hardships come swaying on the path of life, stay on course and do not be stumbled. One day all will come into focus.
RELEVANT REMINDERS
• Sometimes we misunderstand God’s Word, and mistakenly interpret it in light of our tragedies. When an unexpected misfortune occurs, seek the Word of God rather than attempt to clarify it.
• Doubt is the matter of the mind, where unbelief is a matter of will. Doubting is not the opposite of faith or even a sinful thing; it means we are thinking things through, trying to process and understand them.
• When all is revealed, we will discover that the Lord was never sitting on His hands; as a matter of fact, those hands were nailed to a cross.
APPLICABLE ACTIONS
So maybe you are facing winds of adversity now, and you are wondering why God is going about (or not going about) things the way He is. Whether they are winds of temptation that will try to exploit your weaknesses, or winds of compromise that will cause you to become complacent, they will come. Every believer will have doubts, but what we need to remember is that God is in control and we need to trust Him; He will never give us more than we can handle.
Monday, 27 April 2015
Dealing with Doubt — I
Tuesday, 28 April 2015
Dealing with Doubt — II
THE BEST IS YET TO COME
Revelation 21:1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth,[a] for the old heaven and the old earth had passed away, and the sea was no longer there. 2 Also I saw the holy city, New Yerushalayim, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 I heard a loud voice from the throne say, “See! God’s Sh’khinah is with mankind, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and he himself, God-with-them, will be their God.[b] 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There will no longer be any death; and there will no longer be any mourning, crying or pain; because the old order has passed away.”
5 Then the One sitting on the throne said, “Look! I am making everything new!” Also he said, “Write, ‘These words are true and trustworthy!’” 6 And he said to me, “It is done! I am the ‘A’ and the ‘Z,’ the Beginning and the End. To anyone who is thirsty I myself will give water free of charge from the Fountain of Life. 7 He who wins the victory will receive these things, and I will be his God, and he will be my son. 8 But as for the cowardly, the untrustworthy, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those involved with the occult and with drugs, idol-worshippers, and all liars — their destiny is the lake burning with fire and sulfur, the second death.”
9 One of the seven angels having the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues approached me and said, “Come! I will show you the Bride, the Wife of the Lamb.” 10 He carried me off in the Spirit to the top of a great, high mountain and showed me the holy city, Yerushalayim, coming down out of heaven from God. 11 It had the Sh’khinah of God, so that its brilliance was like that of a priceless jewel, like a crystal-clear diamond. 12 It had a great, high wall with twelve gates; at the gates were twelve angels; and inscribed on the gates were the names of the twelve tribes of Isra’el. 13 There were three gates to the east, three gates to the north, three gates to the south and three gates to the west. 14 The wall of the city was built on twelve foundation-stones, and on these were the twelve names of the twelve emissaries of the Lamb.
15 The angel speaking with me had a gold measuring-rod with which to measure the city, its gates and its wall. 16 The city is laid out in a square, its length equal to its width. With his rod he measured the city at 1,500 miles, with length, width and height the same. 17 He measured its wall at 216 feet by human standards of measurement, which the angel was using. 18 The wall was made of diamond and the city of pure gold resembling pure glass. 19 The foundations of the city wall were decorated with all kinds of precious stones — the first foundation stone was diamond, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald, 20 the fifth sardonyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh turquoise and the twelfth amethyst. 21 The twelve gates were twelve pearls, with each gate made of a single pearl. The city’s main street was pure gold, transparent as glass.
22 I saw no Temple in the city, for Adonai, God of heaven’s armies, is its Temple, as is the Lamb. 23 The city has no need for the sun or the moon to shine on it, because God’s Sh’khinah gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. 24 The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. 25 Its gates will never close, they stay open all day because night will not exist there, 26 and the honor and splendor of the nations will be brought into it. 27 Nothing impure may enter it, nor anyone who does shameful things or lies; the only ones who may enter are those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.[Footnotes:
Revelation 21:1 Isaiah 65:17, 66:22
Revelation 21:3 Leviticus 26:11–12; Isaiah 7:14; 8:8, 10; Jeremiah 31:33(34); Ezekiel 37:27; 2 Chronicles 6:18]
22:1 Next the angel showed me the river of the water of life, sparkling like crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb. 2 Between the main street and the river was the Tree of Life producing twelve kinds of fruit, a different kind every month; and the leaves of the tree were for healing the nations — 3 no longer will there be any curses. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will worship him; 4 they will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 5 Night will no longer exist, so they will need neither the light of a lamp nor the light of the sun, because Adonai, God, will shine upon them. And they will reign as kings forever and ever.
6 Then he said to me, “These words are true and trustworthy: Adonai, God of the spirits of the prophets, sent his angel to show his servants the things that must happen soon.”
7 “Look! I am coming very soon. Blessed is the person who obeys the words of the prophecy written in this book!”
8 Then I, Yochanan, the one hearing and seeing these things, when I heard and saw them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel showing them to me. 9 But he said to me, “Don’t do that! I am only a fellow-servant with you and your brothers, the prophets and the people who obey the words in this book. Worship God!”
10 Then he said to me, “Don’t seal up the words of the prophecy in this book,[a] because the time of their fulfillment is near.
11 “Whoever keeps acting wickedly, let him go on acting wickedly;
whoever is filthy, let him go on being made filthy.
“Also, whoever is righteous, let him go on doing what is righteous;
and whoever is holy, let him go on being made holy.”
12 “Pay attention!” [says Yeshua,] “I am coming soon, and my rewards are with me to give to each person according to what he has done. 13 I am the ‘A’ and the ‘Z,’ the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.”
14 How blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they have the right to eat from the Tree of Life and go through the gates into the city! 15 Outside are the homosexuals, those involved with the occult and with drugs, the sexually immoral, murderers, idol-worshippers, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood. 16 “I, Yeshua, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the Messianic communities. I am the Root and Offspring of David, the bright Morning Star. 17 The Spirit and the Bride say, ‘Come!’ Let anyone who hears say, ‘Come!’ And let anyone who is thirsty come — let anyone who wishes, take the water of life free of charge.”
18 I warn everyone hearing the words of the prophecy in this book that if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues written in this book. 19 And if anyone takes anything away from the words in the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the Tree of Life and the holy city, as described in this book.
20 “The one who is testifying to these things says, ‘Yes, I am coming soon!’”
Amen! Come, Lord Yeshua!
21 May the grace of the Lord Yeshua be with all![Footnotes:
Revelation 22:10 Daniel 12:4]
Heaven is a real place, for real people, where we will do real things. It is not some mysterious atmospheric realm of smoke and mirrors. It was the place that Abraham was searching for, and the place that we are searching for—a city with eternal foundations. This world is not our home. Our real home is heaven and the new earth that is to come. In Revelation 21 and 22, we learn a lot more about what heaven is like. In these chapters we see a very graphic and vivid portrait of heaven and the new earth. John describes the glory of heaven, giving us a glimpse outside of the great city, the holy Jerusalem, and inside of the open gates of the city.
PRACTICAL PRINCIPLES
1. Heaven shines with the glory of God. There is no need for the sun, moon, and stars in this heavenly city. “But I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light” (Revelation 21:22–23 NKJV).
2. Heaven and the new earth are a place of sufficiency. “In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations” (Revelation 22:2 NKJV).
3. Heaven and the new earth are a place of service. His servants shall serve Him. There is going to be work that we do for the Lord. We are ruling and reigning with Christ. “And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him. They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads” (Revelation 22:3–4 NKJV).
RELEVANT REMINDERS
• Heaven is being prepared for us and we are being prepared for heaven. The things that we go through in life are preparing us for the future.
• One day there shall be no more curse, which is what came to Adam and Eve and all of us as a result of sin. But, the curse will be lifted. Death will be gone.
• There will be restoration from the hardships of this life. The Bible says that in His presence there is fullness of joy and on His right hand pleasures forevermore.
• There is no point system in heaven. You can’t do just enough good works to get you in. Even if you do all of those good things, you will fall short.
APPLICABLE ACTIONS
The word sin means to fall short or to miss the mark. What is the mark that God has set for all humanity? Absolute total perfection. Who is going to measure up to that? No one! That is where Jesus comes in. He is God and He is man. He bridged the gap for us when He died on the cross and bore our sin. He died in our place. Then He rose again from the dead. The only way we are going to get to heaven is through Jesus Christ. The last thing God wants is for any man or woman, made in His image, to spend eternity separated from Him in hell.
Wednesday, 29 April 2015
The Best is Yet to Come — I
John 2:1 On Tuesday[a] there was a wedding at Kanah in the Galil; and the mother of Yeshua was there. 2 Yeshua too was invited to the wedding, along with his talmidim. 3 The wine ran out, and Yeshua’s mother said to him, “They have no more wine.” 4 Yeshua replied, “Mother, why should that concern me? — or you? My time hasn’t come yet.” 5 His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” 6 Now six stone water-jars were standing there for the Jewish ceremonial washings, each with a capacity of twenty or thirty gallons. 7 Yeshua told them, “Fill the jars with water,” and they filled them to the brim. 8 He said, “Now draw some out, and take it to the man in charge of the banquet”; and they took it. 9 The man in charge tasted the water; it had now turned into wine! He did not know where it had come from, but the servants who had drawn the water knew. So he called the bridegroom 10 and said to him, “Everyone else serves the good wine first and the poorer wine after people have drunk freely. But you have kept the good wine until now!” 11 This, the first of Yeshua’s miraculous signs, he did at Kanah in the Galil; he manifested his glory, and his talmidim came to trust in him. 12 Afterwards, he, his mother and brothers, and his talmidim went down to K’far-Nachum and stayed there a few days.
13 It was almost time for the festival of Pesach in Y’hudah, so Yeshua went up to Yerushalayim. 14 In the Temple grounds he found those who were selling cattle, sheep and pigeons, and others who were sitting at tables exchanging money. 15 He made a whip from cords and drove them all out of the Temple grounds, the sheep and cattle as well. He knocked over the money-changers’ tables, scattering their coins; 16 and to the pigeon-sellers he said, “Get these things out of here! How dare you turn my Father’s house into a market?” 17 (His talmidim later recalled that the Tanakh says, “Zeal for your house will devour me.” )[b] 18 So the Judeans confronted him by asking him, “What miraculous sign can you show us to prove you have the right to do all this?” 19 Yeshua answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up again.” 20 The Judeans said, “It took 46 years to build this Temple, and you’re going to raise it in three days?” 21 But the “temple” he had spoken of was his body. 22 Therefore, when he was raised from the dead, his talmidim remembered that he had said this, and they trusted in the Tanakh and in what Yeshua had said.
23 Now while Yeshua was in Yerushalayim at the Pesach festival, there were many people who “believed in his name” when they saw the miracles he performed. 24 But he did not commit himself to them, for he knew what people are like — 25 that is, he didn’t need anyone to inform him about a person, because he knew what was in the person’s heart.[Footnotes:
John 2:1 Greek: the third day, equivalent to Hebrew yom shlishi
John 2:17 Psalm 69:10(9)]
How much have you thought about heaven today? On the other hand, how much have you thought about your problems that last but a moment? Pastor Greg Laurie helps us keep our eyes fixed on the finish line. It's an encouraging study.
Thursday, 30 Apri 2015
The Best is Yet to Come — II
John 2:1 On Tuesday[a] there was a wedding at Kanah in the Galil; and the mother of Yeshua was there. 2 Yeshua too was invited to the wedding, along with his talmidim. 3 The wine ran out, and Yeshua’s mother said to him, “They have no more wine.” 4 Yeshua replied, “Mother, why should that concern me? — or you? My time hasn’t come yet.” 5 His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” 6 Now six stone water-jars were standing there for the Jewish ceremonial washings, each with a capacity of twenty or thirty gallons. 7 Yeshua told them, “Fill the jars with water,” and they filled them to the brim. 8 He said, “Now draw some out, and take it to the man in charge of the banquet”; and they took it. 9 The man in charge tasted the water; it had now turned into wine! He did not know where it had come from, but the servants who had drawn the water knew. So he called the bridegroom 10 and said to him, “Everyone else serves the good wine first and the poorer wine after people have drunk freely. But you have kept the good wine until now!” 11 This, the first of Yeshua’s miraculous signs, he did at Kanah in the Galil; he manifested his glory, and his talmidim came to trust in him. 12 Afterwards, he, his mother and brothers, and his talmidim went down to K’far-Nachum and stayed there a few days.
13 It was almost time for the festival of Pesach in Y’hudah, so Yeshua went up to Yerushalayim. 14 In the Temple grounds he found those who were selling cattle, sheep and pigeons, and others who were sitting at tables exchanging money. 15 He made a whip from cords and drove them all out of the Temple grounds, the sheep and cattle as well. He knocked over the money-changers’ tables, scattering their coins; 16 and to the pigeon-sellers he said, “Get these things out of here! How dare you turn my Father’s house into a market?” 17 (His talmidim later recalled that the Tanakh says, “Zeal for your house will devour me.” )[b] 18 So the Judeans confronted him by asking him, “What miraculous sign can you show us to prove you have the right to do all this?” 19 Yeshua answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up again.” 20 The Judeans said, “It took 46 years to build this Temple, and you’re going to raise it in three days?” 21 But the “temple” he had spoken of was his body. 22 Therefore, when he was raised from the dead, his talmidim remembered that he had said this, and they trusted in the Tanakh and in what Yeshua had said.
23 Now while Yeshua was in Yerushalayim at the Pesach festival, there were many people who “believed in his name” when they saw the miracles he performed. 24 But he did not commit himself to them, for he knew what people are like — 25 that is, he didn’t need anyone to inform him about a person, because he knew what was in the person’s heart.[Footnotes:
John 2:1 Greek: the third day, equivalent to Hebrew yom shlishi
John 2:17 Psalm 69:10(9)]
Pastor Greg Laurie says the Lord often saves His best for last . . . unlike our adversary who offers up his most enticing temptations first. Pastor Greg shows us how to keep our eyes on the right prize. It's good insight from the series, "God Came Near.
Friday, 1 May 2015
A Visit with an American Hero — I
His life reads like a movie script. In fact his story recently made it to the silver screen. And We feature Pastor Greg Laurie's interview with the late Louie Zamperini - Olympic runner, World War II hero, and follower of Christ. It's a riveting story of heroism and perseverance.
___________________________________
Harvest Ministries with Greg Laurie
P.O. Box 4000
Riverside, California 92514-4000 United States
Phone: 1-800-821-3300
___________________________________
PRACTICAL PRINCIPLES
1. He refocuses our priorities. Sometimes we get things out of perspective; but God will never rebuke or reject us, instead He just corrects our thinking.
2. He uses Scripture to speak to us. When we are going through hardships, we do not need pious platitudes or silly sayings; instead we need the Word of God. His Word alone will give us hope that will resound in our soul.
3. He has a purpose. When hardships come swaying on the path of life, stay on course and do not be stumbled. One day all will come into focus.
RELEVANT REMINDERS
• Sometimes we misunderstand God’s Word, and mistakenly interpret it in light of our tragedies. When an unexpected misfortune occurs, seek the Word of God rather than attempt to clarify it.
• Doubt is the matter of the mind, where unbelief is a matter of will. Doubting is not the opposite of faith or even a sinful thing; it means we are thinking things through, trying to process and understand them.
• When all is revealed, we will discover that the Lord was never sitting on His hands; as a matter of fact, those hands were nailed to a cross.
APPLICABLE ACTIONS
So maybe you are facing winds of adversity now, and you are wondering why God is going about (or not going about) things the way He is. Whether they are winds of temptation that will try to exploit your weaknesses, or winds of compromise that will cause you to become complacent, they will come. Every believer will have doubts, but what we need to remember is that God is in control and we need to trust Him; He will never give us more than we can handle.
Monday, 27 April 2015
Dealing with Doubt — I
Matthew 11:1 After Yeshua had finished instructing the twelve talmidim, he went on from there to teach and preach in the towns nearby.
2 Meanwhile, Yochanan the Immerser, who had been put in prison, heard what the Messiah had been doing; so he sent a message to him through his talmidim, 3 asking, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for someone else?” 4 Yeshua answered, “Go and tell Yochanan what you are hearing and seeing — 5 the blind are seeing again, the lame are walking, people with tzara’at are being cleansed, the deaf are hearing,[a] the dead are being raised,[b] the Good News is being told to the poor[c] — 6 and how blessed is anyone not offended by me!”
7 As they were leaving, Yeshua began speaking about Yochanan to the crowds: “What did you go out to the desert to see? Reeds swaying in the breeze? 8 No? then what did you go out to see? Someone who was well dressed? Well-dressed people live in kings’ palaces. 9 Nu, so why did you go out? To see a prophet! Yes! and I tell you he’s much more than a prophet. 10 This is the one about whom the Tanakh says,
‘See, I am sending out my messenger ahead of you;
he will prepare your way before you.’[d]
11 Yes! I tell you that among those born of women there has not arisen anyone greater than Yochanan the Immerser! Yet the one who is least in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than he! 12 From the time of Yochanan the Immerser until now, the Kingdom of Heaven has been suffering violence; yes, violent ones are trying to snatch it away. 13 For all the prophets and the Torah prophesied until Yochanan. 14 Indeed, if you are willing to accept it, he is Eliyahu, whose coming was predicted. 15 If you have ears, then hear!
16 “Oh, what can I compare this generation with? They’re like children sitting in the marketplaces, calling out to each other,
17 ‘We made happy music,
but you wouldn’t dance!
We made sad music,
but you wouldn’t cry!’
18 For Yochanan came, fasting, not drinking — so they say, ‘He has a demon.’ 19 The Son of Man came, eating freely and drinking wine — so they say, ‘Aha! A glutton and a drunkard! A friend of tax-collectors and sinners!’ Well, the proof of wisdom is in the actions it produces.”
20 Then Yeshua began to denounce the towns in which he had done most of his miracles, because the people had not turned from their sins to God. 21 “Woe to you, Korazin! Woe to you, Beit-Tzaidah! Why, if the miracles done in you had been done in Tzor and Tzidon, they would long ago have put on sackcloth and ashes as evidence that they had changed their ways. 22 But I tell you it will be more bearable for Tzor and Tzidon than for you on the Day of Judgment! 23 And you, K’far-Nachum, will you be exalted to heaven? No, you will be brought down to Sh’ol![e] For if the miracles done in you had been done in S’dom, it would still be in existence today. 24 But I tell you that on the Day of Judgment it will be more bearable for the land of S’dom than for you!”
25 It was at that time that Yeshua said, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you concealed these things from the sophisticated and educated and revealed them to ordinary folks. 26 Yes, Father, I thank you that it pleased you to do this.
27 “My Father has handed over everything to me. Indeed, no one fully knows the Son except the Father, and no one fully knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.
28 “Come to me, all of you who are struggling and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.[f] 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”[Footnotes:
Matthew 11:5 Isaiah 35:5–6
Matthew 11:5 Isaiah 26:19
Matthew 11:5 Isaiah 61:1
Matthew 11:10 Malachi 3:1
Matthew 11:23 Isaiah 14:13, 15
Matthew 11:29 Jeremiah 6:16]
Doubt is often viewed as sinful . . . as a character flaw or open rebellion. But Pastor Greg Laurie says doubt may not be a sign of unbelief, it may be a sign that a person is thinking. Pastor Greg takes a biblical look at doubt.Tuesday, 28 April 2015
Dealing with Doubt — II
Matthew 11:1 After Yeshua had finished instructing the twelve talmidim, he went on from there to teach and preach in the towns nearby.
2 Meanwhile, Yochanan the Immerser, who had been put in prison, heard what the Messiah had been doing; so he sent a message to him through his talmidim, 3 asking, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for someone else?” 4 Yeshua answered, “Go and tell Yochanan what you are hearing and seeing — 5 the blind are seeing again, the lame are walking, people with tzara’at are being cleansed, the deaf are hearing,[a] the dead are being raised,[b] the Good News is being told to the poor[c] — 6 and how blessed is anyone not offended by me!”
7 As they were leaving, Yeshua began speaking about Yochanan to the crowds: “What did you go out to the desert to see? Reeds swaying in the breeze? 8 No? then what did you go out to see? Someone who was well dressed? Well-dressed people live in kings’ palaces. 9 Nu, so why did you go out? To see a prophet! Yes! and I tell you he’s much more than a prophet. 10 This is the one about whom the Tanakh says,
‘See, I am sending out my messenger ahead of you;
he will prepare your way before you.’[d]
11 Yes! I tell you that among those born of women there has not arisen anyone greater than Yochanan the Immerser! Yet the one who is least in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than he! 12 From the time of Yochanan the Immerser until now, the Kingdom of Heaven has been suffering violence; yes, violent ones are trying to snatch it away. 13 For all the prophets and the Torah prophesied until Yochanan. 14 Indeed, if you are willing to accept it, he is Eliyahu, whose coming was predicted. 15 If you have ears, then hear!
16 “Oh, what can I compare this generation with? They’re like children sitting in the marketplaces, calling out to each other,
17 ‘We made happy music,
but you wouldn’t dance!
We made sad music,
but you wouldn’t cry!’
18 For Yochanan came, fasting, not drinking — so they say, ‘He has a demon.’ 19 The Son of Man came, eating freely and drinking wine — so they say, ‘Aha! A glutton and a drunkard! A friend of tax-collectors and sinners!’ Well, the proof of wisdom is in the actions it produces.”
20 Then Yeshua began to denounce the towns in which he had done most of his miracles, because the people had not turned from their sins to God. 21 “Woe to you, Korazin! Woe to you, Beit-Tzaidah! Why, if the miracles done in you had been done in Tzor and Tzidon, they would long ago have put on sackcloth and ashes as evidence that they had changed their ways. 22 But I tell you it will be more bearable for Tzor and Tzidon than for you on the Day of Judgment! 23 And you, K’far-Nachum, will you be exalted to heaven? No, you will be brought down to Sh’ol![e] For if the miracles done in you had been done in S’dom, it would still be in existence today. 24 But I tell you that on the Day of Judgment it will be more bearable for the land of S’dom than for you!”
25 It was at that time that Yeshua said, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you concealed these things from the sophisticated and educated and revealed them to ordinary folks. 26 Yes, Father, I thank you that it pleased you to do this.
27 “My Father has handed over everything to me. Indeed, no one fully knows the Son except the Father, and no one fully knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.
28 “Come to me, all of you who are struggling and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.[f] 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”[Footnotes:
Matthew 11:5 Isaiah 35:5–6
Matthew 11:5 Isaiah 26:19
Matthew 11:5 Isaiah 61:1
Matthew 11:10 Malachi 3:1
Matthew 11:23 Isaiah 14:13, 15
Matthew 11:29 Jeremiah 6:16]
Does a time of crisis cause you to wonder if God is paying attention? Pastor Greg Laurie points out what we can learn from a time of doubt in the mind of no less than John the Baptist. Gain a fresh perspective on perplexing times of uncertainty.Revelation 21:1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth,[a] for the old heaven and the old earth had passed away, and the sea was no longer there. 2 Also I saw the holy city, New Yerushalayim, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 I heard a loud voice from the throne say, “See! God’s Sh’khinah is with mankind, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and he himself, God-with-them, will be their God.[b] 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There will no longer be any death; and there will no longer be any mourning, crying or pain; because the old order has passed away.”
5 Then the One sitting on the throne said, “Look! I am making everything new!” Also he said, “Write, ‘These words are true and trustworthy!’” 6 And he said to me, “It is done! I am the ‘A’ and the ‘Z,’ the Beginning and the End. To anyone who is thirsty I myself will give water free of charge from the Fountain of Life. 7 He who wins the victory will receive these things, and I will be his God, and he will be my son. 8 But as for the cowardly, the untrustworthy, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those involved with the occult and with drugs, idol-worshippers, and all liars — their destiny is the lake burning with fire and sulfur, the second death.”
9 One of the seven angels having the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues approached me and said, “Come! I will show you the Bride, the Wife of the Lamb.” 10 He carried me off in the Spirit to the top of a great, high mountain and showed me the holy city, Yerushalayim, coming down out of heaven from God. 11 It had the Sh’khinah of God, so that its brilliance was like that of a priceless jewel, like a crystal-clear diamond. 12 It had a great, high wall with twelve gates; at the gates were twelve angels; and inscribed on the gates were the names of the twelve tribes of Isra’el. 13 There were three gates to the east, three gates to the north, three gates to the south and three gates to the west. 14 The wall of the city was built on twelve foundation-stones, and on these were the twelve names of the twelve emissaries of the Lamb.
15 The angel speaking with me had a gold measuring-rod with which to measure the city, its gates and its wall. 16 The city is laid out in a square, its length equal to its width. With his rod he measured the city at 1,500 miles, with length, width and height the same. 17 He measured its wall at 216 feet by human standards of measurement, which the angel was using. 18 The wall was made of diamond and the city of pure gold resembling pure glass. 19 The foundations of the city wall were decorated with all kinds of precious stones — the first foundation stone was diamond, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald, 20 the fifth sardonyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh turquoise and the twelfth amethyst. 21 The twelve gates were twelve pearls, with each gate made of a single pearl. The city’s main street was pure gold, transparent as glass.
22 I saw no Temple in the city, for Adonai, God of heaven’s armies, is its Temple, as is the Lamb. 23 The city has no need for the sun or the moon to shine on it, because God’s Sh’khinah gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. 24 The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. 25 Its gates will never close, they stay open all day because night will not exist there, 26 and the honor and splendor of the nations will be brought into it. 27 Nothing impure may enter it, nor anyone who does shameful things or lies; the only ones who may enter are those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.[Footnotes:
Revelation 21:1 Isaiah 65:17, 66:22
Revelation 21:3 Leviticus 26:11–12; Isaiah 7:14; 8:8, 10; Jeremiah 31:33(34); Ezekiel 37:27; 2 Chronicles 6:18]
22:1 Next the angel showed me the river of the water of life, sparkling like crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb. 2 Between the main street and the river was the Tree of Life producing twelve kinds of fruit, a different kind every month; and the leaves of the tree were for healing the nations — 3 no longer will there be any curses. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will worship him; 4 they will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 5 Night will no longer exist, so they will need neither the light of a lamp nor the light of the sun, because Adonai, God, will shine upon them. And they will reign as kings forever and ever.
6 Then he said to me, “These words are true and trustworthy: Adonai, God of the spirits of the prophets, sent his angel to show his servants the things that must happen soon.”
7 “Look! I am coming very soon. Blessed is the person who obeys the words of the prophecy written in this book!”
8 Then I, Yochanan, the one hearing and seeing these things, when I heard and saw them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel showing them to me. 9 But he said to me, “Don’t do that! I am only a fellow-servant with you and your brothers, the prophets and the people who obey the words in this book. Worship God!”
10 Then he said to me, “Don’t seal up the words of the prophecy in this book,[a] because the time of their fulfillment is near.
11 “Whoever keeps acting wickedly, let him go on acting wickedly;
whoever is filthy, let him go on being made filthy.
“Also, whoever is righteous, let him go on doing what is righteous;
and whoever is holy, let him go on being made holy.”
12 “Pay attention!” [says Yeshua,] “I am coming soon, and my rewards are with me to give to each person according to what he has done. 13 I am the ‘A’ and the ‘Z,’ the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.”
14 How blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they have the right to eat from the Tree of Life and go through the gates into the city! 15 Outside are the homosexuals, those involved with the occult and with drugs, the sexually immoral, murderers, idol-worshippers, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood. 16 “I, Yeshua, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the Messianic communities. I am the Root and Offspring of David, the bright Morning Star. 17 The Spirit and the Bride say, ‘Come!’ Let anyone who hears say, ‘Come!’ And let anyone who is thirsty come — let anyone who wishes, take the water of life free of charge.”
18 I warn everyone hearing the words of the prophecy in this book that if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues written in this book. 19 And if anyone takes anything away from the words in the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the Tree of Life and the holy city, as described in this book.
20 “The one who is testifying to these things says, ‘Yes, I am coming soon!’”
Amen! Come, Lord Yeshua!
21 May the grace of the Lord Yeshua be with all![Footnotes:
Revelation 22:10 Daniel 12:4]
Heaven is a real place, for real people, where we will do real things. It is not some mysterious atmospheric realm of smoke and mirrors. It was the place that Abraham was searching for, and the place that we are searching for—a city with eternal foundations. This world is not our home. Our real home is heaven and the new earth that is to come. In Revelation 21 and 22, we learn a lot more about what heaven is like. In these chapters we see a very graphic and vivid portrait of heaven and the new earth. John describes the glory of heaven, giving us a glimpse outside of the great city, the holy Jerusalem, and inside of the open gates of the city.
PRACTICAL PRINCIPLES
1. Heaven shines with the glory of God. There is no need for the sun, moon, and stars in this heavenly city. “But I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light” (Revelation 21:22–23 NKJV).
2. Heaven and the new earth are a place of sufficiency. “In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations” (Revelation 22:2 NKJV).
3. Heaven and the new earth are a place of service. His servants shall serve Him. There is going to be work that we do for the Lord. We are ruling and reigning with Christ. “And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him. They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads” (Revelation 22:3–4 NKJV).
RELEVANT REMINDERS
• Heaven is being prepared for us and we are being prepared for heaven. The things that we go through in life are preparing us for the future.
• One day there shall be no more curse, which is what came to Adam and Eve and all of us as a result of sin. But, the curse will be lifted. Death will be gone.
• There will be restoration from the hardships of this life. The Bible says that in His presence there is fullness of joy and on His right hand pleasures forevermore.
• There is no point system in heaven. You can’t do just enough good works to get you in. Even if you do all of those good things, you will fall short.
APPLICABLE ACTIONS
The word sin means to fall short or to miss the mark. What is the mark that God has set for all humanity? Absolute total perfection. Who is going to measure up to that? No one! That is where Jesus comes in. He is God and He is man. He bridged the gap for us when He died on the cross and bore our sin. He died in our place. Then He rose again from the dead. The only way we are going to get to heaven is through Jesus Christ. The last thing God wants is for any man or woman, made in His image, to spend eternity separated from Him in hell.
Wednesday, 29 April 2015
The Best is Yet to Come — I
John 2:1 On Tuesday[a] there was a wedding at Kanah in the Galil; and the mother of Yeshua was there. 2 Yeshua too was invited to the wedding, along with his talmidim. 3 The wine ran out, and Yeshua’s mother said to him, “They have no more wine.” 4 Yeshua replied, “Mother, why should that concern me? — or you? My time hasn’t come yet.” 5 His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” 6 Now six stone water-jars were standing there for the Jewish ceremonial washings, each with a capacity of twenty or thirty gallons. 7 Yeshua told them, “Fill the jars with water,” and they filled them to the brim. 8 He said, “Now draw some out, and take it to the man in charge of the banquet”; and they took it. 9 The man in charge tasted the water; it had now turned into wine! He did not know where it had come from, but the servants who had drawn the water knew. So he called the bridegroom 10 and said to him, “Everyone else serves the good wine first and the poorer wine after people have drunk freely. But you have kept the good wine until now!” 11 This, the first of Yeshua’s miraculous signs, he did at Kanah in the Galil; he manifested his glory, and his talmidim came to trust in him. 12 Afterwards, he, his mother and brothers, and his talmidim went down to K’far-Nachum and stayed there a few days.
13 It was almost time for the festival of Pesach in Y’hudah, so Yeshua went up to Yerushalayim. 14 In the Temple grounds he found those who were selling cattle, sheep and pigeons, and others who were sitting at tables exchanging money. 15 He made a whip from cords and drove them all out of the Temple grounds, the sheep and cattle as well. He knocked over the money-changers’ tables, scattering their coins; 16 and to the pigeon-sellers he said, “Get these things out of here! How dare you turn my Father’s house into a market?” 17 (His talmidim later recalled that the Tanakh says, “Zeal for your house will devour me.” )[b] 18 So the Judeans confronted him by asking him, “What miraculous sign can you show us to prove you have the right to do all this?” 19 Yeshua answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up again.” 20 The Judeans said, “It took 46 years to build this Temple, and you’re going to raise it in three days?” 21 But the “temple” he had spoken of was his body. 22 Therefore, when he was raised from the dead, his talmidim remembered that he had said this, and they trusted in the Tanakh and in what Yeshua had said.
23 Now while Yeshua was in Yerushalayim at the Pesach festival, there were many people who “believed in his name” when they saw the miracles he performed. 24 But he did not commit himself to them, for he knew what people are like — 25 that is, he didn’t need anyone to inform him about a person, because he knew what was in the person’s heart.[Footnotes:
John 2:1 Greek: the third day, equivalent to Hebrew yom shlishi
John 2:17 Psalm 69:10(9)]
How much have you thought about heaven today? On the other hand, how much have you thought about your problems that last but a moment? Pastor Greg Laurie helps us keep our eyes fixed on the finish line. It's an encouraging study.
Thursday, 30 Apri 2015
The Best is Yet to Come — II
John 2:1 On Tuesday[a] there was a wedding at Kanah in the Galil; and the mother of Yeshua was there. 2 Yeshua too was invited to the wedding, along with his talmidim. 3 The wine ran out, and Yeshua’s mother said to him, “They have no more wine.” 4 Yeshua replied, “Mother, why should that concern me? — or you? My time hasn’t come yet.” 5 His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” 6 Now six stone water-jars were standing there for the Jewish ceremonial washings, each with a capacity of twenty or thirty gallons. 7 Yeshua told them, “Fill the jars with water,” and they filled them to the brim. 8 He said, “Now draw some out, and take it to the man in charge of the banquet”; and they took it. 9 The man in charge tasted the water; it had now turned into wine! He did not know where it had come from, but the servants who had drawn the water knew. So he called the bridegroom 10 and said to him, “Everyone else serves the good wine first and the poorer wine after people have drunk freely. But you have kept the good wine until now!” 11 This, the first of Yeshua’s miraculous signs, he did at Kanah in the Galil; he manifested his glory, and his talmidim came to trust in him. 12 Afterwards, he, his mother and brothers, and his talmidim went down to K’far-Nachum and stayed there a few days.
13 It was almost time for the festival of Pesach in Y’hudah, so Yeshua went up to Yerushalayim. 14 In the Temple grounds he found those who were selling cattle, sheep and pigeons, and others who were sitting at tables exchanging money. 15 He made a whip from cords and drove them all out of the Temple grounds, the sheep and cattle as well. He knocked over the money-changers’ tables, scattering their coins; 16 and to the pigeon-sellers he said, “Get these things out of here! How dare you turn my Father’s house into a market?” 17 (His talmidim later recalled that the Tanakh says, “Zeal for your house will devour me.” )[b] 18 So the Judeans confronted him by asking him, “What miraculous sign can you show us to prove you have the right to do all this?” 19 Yeshua answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up again.” 20 The Judeans said, “It took 46 years to build this Temple, and you’re going to raise it in three days?” 21 But the “temple” he had spoken of was his body. 22 Therefore, when he was raised from the dead, his talmidim remembered that he had said this, and they trusted in the Tanakh and in what Yeshua had said.
23 Now while Yeshua was in Yerushalayim at the Pesach festival, there were many people who “believed in his name” when they saw the miracles he performed. 24 But he did not commit himself to them, for he knew what people are like — 25 that is, he didn’t need anyone to inform him about a person, because he knew what was in the person’s heart.[Footnotes:
John 2:1 Greek: the third day, equivalent to Hebrew yom shlishi
John 2:17 Psalm 69:10(9)]
Pastor Greg Laurie says the Lord often saves His best for last . . . unlike our adversary who offers up his most enticing temptations first. Pastor Greg shows us how to keep our eyes on the right prize. It's good insight from the series, "God Came Near.
A Visit with an American Hero — I
His life reads like a movie script. In fact his story recently made it to the silver screen. And We feature Pastor Greg Laurie's interview with the late Louie Zamperini - Olympic runner, World War II hero, and follower of Christ. It's a riveting story of heroism and perseverance.
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Harvest Ministries with Greg Laurie
P.O. Box 4000
Riverside, California 92514-4000 United States
Phone: 1-800-821-3300
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