Matthew 18 - 8.16.2024

Scripture - Pick one verse that stood out to you.

Matthew 18:32 - 35

“Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.

“This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”

Observation - What about this verse stands out to you?

The ending to a parable of Jesus describing a story about an unmerciful servant, who was granted mercy by his master, only to turn right around and behave wickedly to somebody in his debt.

I have of late thought often of various family members that moved on and away from family holding on to so much bitterness and anger inside their heart. I always seem to arrive at the same question-thought towards the end of my reminiscence, “Was all that anger worth it?”

Application - How will you apply this to your life?

While several of the themes of this parable are mercy and forgiveness towards brothers and sisters in Christ, I could not stop thinking about forgiveness and mercy within the context of family and…coworkers. 😁

I felt the Holy Spirit reminding me of an incident involving a speeding coworker and my daughter who was driving me while we were all on the way to work. And low and behold as I searched my heart I found a root of bitterness and anger which led me to ask myself, “Was all that anger worth it?”

Prayer - Write out a prayer.

I am so amazed by your mercy, Lord Jesus. I am so amazed by your heart. Thank you for giving us the blueprint on how we ought to deal with brothers and sisters in Christ. Help me to practice this heart-concept Lord. I pray to You Lord, that you would help me to let go of any anger or bitterness that I may have harbored towards a brother or sister in Christ. I pray that I would let go of any anger I may have toward my family and friends. I pray Lord, that I would not look at anyone with bitterness or anger friend or foe, coworker or not, whoever you decide to put on the same path that I happen to tread on this wonderful earth you have created, may I, in turn, extend a portion of the mercy and grace that You have extended to all of us. In the name of Jesus do I pray, amen.

-kenneth lee

Psalm 26 - 8.15.24

SCRIPTURE: 

Psalm 26:4 

"I do not sit with the deceitful, nor do I associate with hypocrites."

OBSERVATION: 

David knew the joys of obeying the Lord.  He learned from the Scriptures and then passed on a legacy of wisdom.  David took hold of God's Word with all of his heart, and he was determined not to abandon what he had learned, and he allowed God to show him how to choose His way.  

When David said he didn't sit with the deceitful nor associate with hypocrites, he wasn't implying that he didn't associate with them. He meant that he didn't act like them. David devoted his life to God, and he realized that a person who clung to idols wasn't able to commit his spirit into God's hands.  There was a stark contrast between David's total trust in God, and those who clung to worthless idols.  David loved the Lord and was committed to giving God his first allegiance, and because of that, he didn't stay away from unbelievers.  He lived his life demonstrating what a faithful person was in contrast to a faithless person.   Because of David's obedience to God, he was granted protection and peace.  When the lies of the enemy came against him, God defended him.  David was delivered from trouble.  God showed David that his cries for help never went unheard, and in the midst of David's times of panic, God brought stability.  When David's life was in despair, God brought David relief.  God's Word gave David the guidelines for living a blameless life, and he put them into practice.  The joys and benefits of being God's companion paid off for David, and he knew that following God's ways allowed him to be blessed.  

APPLICATION: 

Father God, thank You for giving me a heart to share Your love with others. There is a difference between hanging out with sinners, and purposely going out to be among them.  Help me to be a godly influence as I reflect Your great love for them. Thank You for delivering me, saving me, and for being merciful to me. Because of Your great love, I pray You will help me to lead a blameless life before You, and that You will lead me to the ones who still need to hear the Good News of Jesus Christ.

PRAYER:

Thank You Lord that You watch over the way of the righteous.  You are our caring Shepherd and our dependable guide.  When we obey You, we have hope for eternal life and security.  You defended, guided, and pardoned David, and You grant us the same requests as we follow and obey You.  I thank You that You have forgiven our sins, and have shown us Your ways, and have taught us Your path, and I pray that we will be faithful back to You by sharing Your love, associating ourselves with non-believers by meeting their needs, and instructing them in Your ways. 

- Robin Orefice

Matthew 17 - 8.15.24

Matthew 17:1-9

S –After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. 2 There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. 3 Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus.

4 Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.”

5 While he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!”

6 When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified. 7 But Jesus came and touched them. “Get up,” he said. “Don’t be afraid.” 8 When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus.

9 As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus instructed them, “Don’t tell anyone what you have seen, until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”

O - He was transfigured before them: The word transfigured speaks of a transformation, not merely a change in outward appearance. The effect was extremely striking; Jesus became so bright in appearance that He was even difficult to look at (like the sun). Blue letter bible.org

Undoubtedly, the purpose of the transfiguration of Christ into at least a part of His heavenly glory was so that the “inner circle” of His disciples could gain a greater understanding of who Jesus was. Christ underwent a dramatic change in appearance in order that the disciples could behold Him in His glory. The disciples, who had only known Him in His human body, now had a greater realization of the deity of Christ, though they could not fully comprehend it. That gave them the reassurance they needed after hearing the shocking news of His coming death. (gotquestions.org)

The Transfiguration was a foretaste of heaven; the participants (who had been dead a very long time) were doing something worth noting – talking together. In God’s world, interactions count highly. People are individuals, with minds, hearts, and opinions. People are also part of a wider whole, connected by relationships built on sharing between whole persons. Friendship is the key. Make time and opportunities to talk with others. Good conversations act as training for eternity.

Jesus is more than a great leader, a good example, a good influence, or a great prophet. He is the Son of God. When you understand this profound truth, the only adequate response is worship. When you have a correct understanding of Christ, you WILL obey him.

A – My application may be a stretch but I felt the need to share. (Side note two of my computers stopped working after typing this SOAP and another post was to be posted instead. I took the computer to the Geek Squad and it miraculously worked fine! So, I’m sharing.)  On Tuesday evening we attended a memorial for someone we didn’t know all that intimately but who touched our lives through several brief conversations over the years while doing work around our house. This man, Louis Godman (which I always told him was such an appropriate name because he was such a bright presence), had an infectious smile and way about him that made everyone who encountered him feel like his longtime friend. It may sound odd when I say that most of the time, I actually enjoy attending a Celebration of Life, and this one was definitely one I enjoyed and will remember for a very long time. Not because of the loss of course, or the sadness, but because of discovering more about who he was, and being able to meet so many of the people whose lives he had touched in some way. And there were MANY-it was standing room only. I have never seen a memorial put together with such love and intricate detail. From the décor, the music, the poems read, the eulogy, the raw, yet composed emotions from his partner and her adult children as they spoke, to hearing the stories from the woman who introduced him to us years ago. It was inspiring to catch a glimpse of how he impacted each of their lives and how we were all brought together on this occasion, as part of their journey, and to see the hand that God had played out through all of it was just amazing! There were so many things spoken that were clearly the hand of God throughout his 2 year battle with colon cancer (including the surgery that was never supposed to happen that bought him that extra time).  Even in the end, he was a positive force. Louis left behind a lot of aching hearts, but more than that, he left a legacy of a whole lot of joy! He inspired and he brought a smile to everyone who met him.

My “observation” today came directly out of my study bible, but what touched me was “In God’s world, interactions count highly. People are individuals, with minds, hearts, and opinions. People are also part of a wider whole, connected by relationships built on sharing between whole persons. Friendship is the key. Make time and opportunities to talk with others. Good conversations act as training for eternity.

To know that we will one day be able to interact with those we have lost, and even those we had briefly touched, makes me want to be a better person and to transform my own life into someone who leaves others inspired and in awe of what God has done for me. To know that having constant connections and interactions are important to God, and will be a part of eternity, we should be doing everything in our power to reach out to others. You never know whose life you may inspire, impact, or touch in some way. Or what seed you have planted that leads them to salvation or a deeper understanding of WHO God really is.

P – I pray that I myself, and my church family, would be aware of the joy it brings God to see His people come together, bringing comfort and joy to one another. I pray we would be aware of the special moments he puts before us to make those connections, and I pray that we turn to Him in honor and praise for being the one true SON OF GOD who deserves are complete adoration no matter what the world and Satan may be throwing at us. I pray we would seek the glory of God and revel in His amazing presence. And SHARE OUR STORIES!

Amen!

- Crystal Flory