Faith vs. Sight

The Gospel of Jesus Christ

“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” — Psalm 119:105

Tag: christianity

  • Jesus Tested in the Wilderness

    It was The Spirit that led Jesus directly to this test in the wilderness. It was not random chance. The Spirit led him to these tests and trials.

    Matthew 4:1-11

    4 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted[a] by the devil. 2 After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 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 shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’[b]”

    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.’[c]”

    7 Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’[d]”

    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.’[e]”

    11 Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.

    Jesus knew exactly how to answer the temptations with the Word of God. The same word that is available to us. God never fails and he never will. We are with him and he is with us.

    Amen

    DK

  • John the Baptist Prepares the Way

    What a great image this passage gives us of a man who knew exactly what his calling was. No pride or ego. Just a man on a mission, and he spoke strongly of what is coming.


    Matthew 3:1-12

    3 In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea2 and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”3 This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah:

    “A voice of one calling in the wilderness,
    ‘Prepare the way for the Lord,
        make straight paths for him.’”[a]

    4 John’s clothes were made of camel’s hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. 5 People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. 6 Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.

    7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?8 Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. 9 And do not think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham.10 The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.

    11 “I baptize you with[b]water for repentance.But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with[c] the Holy Spiritand fire. 12 His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

    John the Baptist was cousin to Jesus. He knew he was coming and what that would mean for us. His message, packaged in garments that were not royal. As a matter of fact, the detail that he ate “locusts and honey” is something very revealing of his humility. He openly professed of the coming of Jesus and knew his job was to prepare the way. God was lining things up for his sone Jesus to come with the gift of the Holy Spirit and salvation for us all.

    Amen

    DK

  • The Magi Visit the Messiah

    This amazing story of the birth of Jesus Christ, our Christmas story, heard since we were little. The millions of manger scenes all over the world this is it…

    Matthew 2:1-12

    2 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea,during the time of King Herod, Magi[a] from the east came to Jerusalem2 and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews?We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”

    3 When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him.4 When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born.5 “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:

    6 “‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
        are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
    for out of you will come a ruler
        who will shepherd my people Israel.’[b]”

    7 Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”

    9 After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with giftsof gold, frankincense and myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.

    The complexity of this truth, that Jesus was born and visited by royalty and presented wonderful gifts as just a newborn infant, is awesome. What I take from this is the confirmation by the magi through prophecy, and following the star they knew to be the Messiah’s location is so incredibly confirming. Jesus had arrived. The Savior of the World was now on Earth. It was honored and celebrated, but most importantly its was protected from Herod.

    Thank you God, for always providing for us, as you did for Jesus. I love this scene.

    Shalom

    DK

  • The Genealogy of Jesus The Messiah

    Matthew 1:1-17

    As I begin the study of the Book of Matthew, I am reminded of the first time I read it. Chapter 1:1-17 was one that made me wonder why the lineage. I encourage you to read and to pray for understanding.

    1 This is the genealogy[a] of Jesus the Messiah[b] the son of David, the son of Abraham:

    2 Abraham was the father of Isaac,

    Isaac the father of Jacob,

    Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers,

    3 Judah the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar,

    Perez the father of Hezron,

    Hezron the father of Ram,

    4 Ram the father of Amminadab,

    Amminadab the father of Nahshon,

    Nahshon the father of Salmon,

    5 Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab,

    Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth,

    Obed the father of Jesse,

    6 and Jesse the father of King David.

    David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah’s wife,

    7 Solomon the father of Rehoboam,

    Rehoboam the father of Abijah,

    Abijah the father of Asa,

    8 Asa the father of Jehoshaphat,

    Jehoshaphat the father of Jehoram,

    Jehoram the father of Uzziah,

    9 Uzziah the father of Jotham,

    Jotham the father of Ahaz,

    Ahaz the father of Hezekiah,

    10 Hezekiah the father of Manasseh,

    Manasseh the father of Amon,

    Amon the father of Josiah,

    11 and Josiah the father of Jeconiah[c] and his brothers at the time of the exile to Babylon.

    12 After the exile to Babylon:

    Jeconiah was the father of Shealtiel,

    Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel,

    13 Zerubbabel the father of Abihud,

    Abihud the father of Eliakim,

    Eliakim the father of Azor,

    14 Azor the father of Zadok,

    Zadok the father of Akim,

    Akim the father of Elihud,

    15 Elihud the father of Eleazar,

    Eleazar the father of Matthan,

    Matthan the father of Jacob,

    16 and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, and Mary was the mother of Jesus who is called the Messiah.

    17 Thus there were fourteen generations in all from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to the Messiah.

    The Jews were very rule driven and lineage would help many to truly recognize by sight and recorded knowledge who Jesus was as a man. This will happen many times as Jesus fulfills prophecy throughout the upcoming studies.

    I hope you are blessed today. I pray that you are seeing God’s blessings, both big and small, daily. Have a Blessed day!

    Shalom

    DK