Category: Scripture

John the Baptist 11/2/2016

Post author By Disciples Church
Post date November 2, 2016
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Mark 6:14-29
The Death of John the Baptist
14 King Herod heard of it, for Jesus’¹ name had become known. Some² said, “John the Baptist³ has been raised from the dead. That is why these miraculous powers are at work in him.” 15 But others said, “He is Elijah.” And others said, “He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old.” 16 But when Herod heard of it, he said, “John, whom I beheaded, has been raised.” 17 For it was Herod who had sent and seized John and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, because he had married her. 18 For John had been saying to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” 19 And Herodias had a grudge against him and wanted to put him to death. But she could not, 20 for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he kept him safe. When he heard him, he was greatly perplexed, and yet he heard him gladly.
21 But an opportunity came when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his nobles and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee. 22 For when Herodias’s daughter came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests. And the king said to the girl, “Ask me for whatever you wish, and I will give it to you.” 23 And he vowed to her, “Whatever you ask me, I will give you, up to half of my kingdom.” 24 And she went out and said to her mother, “For what should I ask?” And she said, “The head of John the Baptist.” 25 And she came in immediately with haste to the king and asked, saying, “I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter.” 26 And the king was exceedingly sorry, but because of his oaths and his guests he did not want to break his word to her. 27 And immediately the king sent an executioner with orders to bring John’s⁴ head. He went and beheaded him in the prison 28 and brought his head on a platter and gave it to the girl, and the girl gave it to her mother. 29 When his disciples heard of it, they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.
Footnotes
[1] 6:14 Greek his

[2] 6:14 Some manuscripts He

[3] 6:14 Greek baptizer; also verse 24

[4] 6:27 Greek his
(ESV)

Scripture

John the Baptist 11/1/2016

Post author By Disciples Church
Post date November 1, 2016
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Matthew 3:1-7
John the Baptist Prepares the Way
3:1 In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, 2 “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”¹ 3 For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said,

  “The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
  ‘Prepare² the way of the Lord;
    make his paths straight.’”
4 Now John wore a garment of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. 5 Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region about the Jordan were going out to him, 6 and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.
7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
Footnotes
[1] 3:2 Or the kingdom of heaven has come near

[2] 3:3 Or crying: Prepare in the wilderness
(ESV)

Scripture

John the Baptist 10/31/2016

Post author By Disciples Church
Post date October 31, 2016
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Malachi 3
3:1 “Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts. 2 But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap. 3 He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and they will bring offerings in righteousness to the LORD.¹ 4 Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the LORD as in the days of old and as in former years.
5 “Then I will draw near to you for judgment. I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those who oppress the hired worker in his wages, the widow and the fatherless, against those who thrust aside the sojourner, and do not fear me, says the LORD of hosts.
Robbing God
6 “For I the LORD do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed. 7 From the days of your fathers you have turned aside from my statutes and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you, says the LORD of hosts. But you say, ‘How shall we return?’ 8 Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In your tithes and contributions. 9 You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you. 10 Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the LORD of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need. 11 I will rebuke the devourer² for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the LORD of hosts. 12 Then all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a land of delight, says the LORD of hosts.
13 “Your words have been hard against me, says the LORD. But you say, ‘How have we spoken against you?’ 14 You have said, ‘It is vain to serve God. What is the profit of our keeping his charge or of walking as in mourning before the LORD of hosts? 15 And now we call the arrogant blessed. Evildoers not only prosper but they put God to the test and they escape.’”
The Book of Remembrance
16 Then those who feared the LORD spoke with one another. The LORD paid attention and heard them, and a book of remembrance was written before him of those who feared the LORD and esteemed his name. 17 “They shall be mine, says the LORD of hosts, in the day when I make up my treasured possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his son who serves him. 18 Then once more you shall see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve him.
Footnotes
[1] 3:3 Or and they will belong to the Lord, bringers of an offering in righteousness

[2] 3:11 Probably a name for some crop-destroying pest or pests
(ESV)

Saturday Study Scripture

Luke 1:26-30 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” 29 But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. 30 And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.

Mary is a teenage girl… Committed to Joseph to be married… In preparation for her wedding….

And she is visited by an Angel of the Lord… Now, any of us would be freaked out at the sight of the angel.. but instead.. Notice that she is troubled, not at the sight of an Angel, but at his announcement that she is favored and the Lord is with her…

What I love about Mary’s response here is what it reveals about her heart for God!

An angel just told her that she was “highly favored and that God was with her”.

Realize that the way the Jewish people thought about God’s presence was in the tabernacle: The Holy of Holies, where only the High Priest could go on their behalf.

So these are not casual flippant words for Mary… the concept of God being with us… the concept of us being favored by God … are not words that Mary took Lightly! IT Rocked her!

Here is the Point: it should rock us too! She was blown away at the thought that God would draw near to her.

What life altering profound power does the reality that the Living God of all things has drawn near to you?

Not only does he draw near but he has plan for us! A Provision for us! àHE did for MARY as well…

Luke 1:31-33 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”

We also see this life-altering announcement given to Joseph in…

Matthew 1:18-25 Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. 19 And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. 20 But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: 23 “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel”(which means, God with us). 24 When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, 25 but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.

Joseph and Mary both show signs of great faith in God despite being told life changing news.

How big do you believe God is?

We serve a HUGE God who knows no bounds. He is able. He does and will do what is best for his eternal purposes.

There is no situation is above God’s pay grade.

The reality is .. you will only know this kind of peace if you really know God in the true vastness that he is!

IF God is small and limited in your mind and heart.. You will worry! You will doubt!

IF God is big and sovereign and over it all.. you will lean not on your own understanding but trust in him.

You will know true peace!

Luke 1:34-37 And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” 35 And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy–the Son of God. 36 And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God.”

Now, Surely in Mary’s life this news is not the peace she was looking for. But, we must step back and understand her situation…

Her people are in unrest:

Incredibly High Taxation under Caesar, the hate and brutality of Herod who ruled in her region: The Military force Rome applied to the Jewish people.

The Unplanned pregnancy of a teenage girl who is engaged to be married

<>By tradition… her pledged spouse will try to divorce her or have her stoned for her perceived adultery!

<> What does this do to her wedding plans? Because, you don’t mess with a girl’s wedding!

<> Can you imagine what the town will say when she starts to show?

What does she say, “Oh an angel visited me… the Holy Spirit made me pregnant”

Come on Mary… just admit it… you are a floozy.. you are a liar. Just leave us!

There are so many reasons for Mary to be freaking out… RIGHT?

But listen carefully to the response of a scared teenage girl who is in the midst of an oppressive upbringing.. an arranged marriage and news that would rip any young girls social life apart… She says…

Luke 1:38 And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

In the midst of all of life’s chaos.. on the heels of more chaotic news… She is at peace!

She is experiencing great harmony with God and as a result…even in the midst of the storm… with more curveballs to come (a 100 mile donkey ride while pregnant and giving birth in a dirty animal cave)

She is at peace! How? WHY? There are three things we see in Mary that help us understand real peace … lasting peace!

Mary has a high view of God-

Just a few more verses down… listen to her heart as she sings out to God these words…

Luke 1:46-55 And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, 47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, 48 for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; 49 for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name. 50 And his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. 51 He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;

(Listen to the great divine insight she has as she must be thinking about who really is in power instead of Herod or Caesar.)

52 he has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate; 53 he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty. 54 He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, 55 as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his offspring forever.”

Her soul magnifies the LORD and Rejoices in GOD for Holy is his name and Mighty is his power.

There are a lot of things in our sin that we can magnify and rejoice in.

Mary’s heart is fixed on GOD! She sees him as HOLY and Worthy. She sees him as Mighty over all things. This is how she has peace! Because she has a healthy and High view of God.

Author Steve Brown, says it so well, “As long as I could keep God in church, in my theology books, & in my God discussions, I could deal with Him. But when the real GOD came, it felt like he shook the church, burned the books, & laughed at some of our God discussion. I then realized that one doesn’t “DEAL WITH” God. He Deals with Us!”

We must be growing in our View of WHO God is. If Peace is going to be REAL in our hearts and minds. So must our HUGE GOD! “He must increase, but I must decrease.” – John 3:30

Mary surrendered to the will of God-

Luke 1:38 And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.”

If you are in charge of your life and you have not truly surrendered it to God in ALL things..

That means you still are trying to hold onto the controls… no wonder why you have no peace!

No wonder you are freaking out…

Mary had every opportunity to doubt God, to make excuses, to run away… but she surrendered.

How are you at surrendering yourself to God’s Will? To God’s Word? So that he is the True Authority in your life?

Mary models a life that is truly surrendered to God. Truly yielding to his WILL.

Saying… “Let it be to me according to your word.”

Mary & Joseph Embraced the Good news of Jesus

Later to Joseph the Angel says, She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”

We must understand that à We are Powerless for Peace by ourselves

Why are we powerless for Peace? Because of our SIN. This is why we need a savior!

Man’s Power produces idolatry and when I over elevate anything over God that is SIN.

Sin is Idolatry! When my relationships, my stuff, my status, my success is more important to me than God that is sin. What we have to understand is… When these things are so important to me I will stress about keeping them in order.. from breaking down.

The problem is.. my relationships, my stuff, my status my success, my health… all BREAK DOWN.

Psalm 38:18 I am full of anxiety because of my sin. (NASB)

Man does not have the POWER to not STRESS.. to not Worry! Because man is Sinful!

Because when I value the things God created more than God I am in SIN. And when that stuff breaks down.. I STRESS!

The Good NEWS is the Arrival of Jesus!

“You shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” Matthew 1:21

There is not peace in this world without the Prince of Peace.

There will be no peace in your life without the Prince of Peace.

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders.

And he will be called the Prince of Peace. – Isaiah 9:6

What Mary & Joseph understood: The reason why they had true peace is that their very soul received the Good News of the child that would set us free!

The Question is.. Do you have a HIGH view of God that causes you to truly surrender your life to Jesus alone… To trust in Him and rest in His Peace even when times are hard, not going well and or not looking good on the horizon?

Proverbs 3: 5-6 “Trust in the Lord your God and lean not on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do and he will direct your paths.”

By His grace and for His glory,

Pastor Joshua Kirstine

Olive Drive Church

Scripture

Joseph & Mary 10/28/2016

Luke 2:21-52
21 And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.
Jesus Presented at the Temple
22 And when the time came for their purification according to the Law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 23 (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every male who first opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”) 24 and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the Law of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.” 25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26 And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. 27 And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, 28 he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said,

29   “Lord, now you are letting your servant¹ depart in peace,
    according to your word;
30   for my eyes have seen your salvation
31     that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
32   a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
    and for glory to your people Israel.”
33 And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him. 34 And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed 35 (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”
36 And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived with her husband seven years from when she was a virgin, 37 and then as a widow until she was eighty-four.² She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. 38 And coming up at that very hour she began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.
The Return to Nazareth
39 And when they had performed everything according to the Law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. 40 And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom. And the favor of God was upon him.
The Boy Jesus in the Temple
41 Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. 42 And when he was twelve years old, they went up according to custom. 43 And when the feast was ended, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents did not know it, 44 but supposing him to be in the group they went a day’s journey, but then they began to search for him among their relatives and acquaintances, 45 and when they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem, searching for him. 46 After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. 47 And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. 48 And when his parents³ saw him, they were astonished. And his mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been searching for you in great distress.” 49 And he said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?”⁴ 50 And they did not understand the saying that he spoke to them. 51 And he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was submissive to them. And his mother treasured up all these things in her heart.
52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature⁵ and in favor with God and man.
Footnotes
[1] 2:29 Or bondservant

[2] 2:37 Or as a widow for eighty-four years

[3] 2:48 Greek they

[4] 2:49 Or about my Father’s business

[5] 2:52 Or years
(ESV)