By His grace, what the radical life of Christ should look in an American context!

wonders how we can reach people who have been hardened by their circumstances and influences to scoff at Christ? Mat 9:23 @WeeManWest

is so thankful that we have a Savior in Jesus Christ who has delivered us from all sin and bondage and legality! Act 13:38-39 @WeeManWest

Matthew 9:14-15 Jesus is questioned concerning He and His disciples lack of fasting. Jesus assures this person that His disciples will fast when He is gone. We should always be joyful to be in the presence of God Almighty.

Matthew 9:16-17 We cannot take old institutions and breath new life into them and expect them to adapt. Preparation has to occur in order for change to be possible. The preservation of God’s work would require a new and adapted/prepared place to grow.

Our societies work in the same manner…one cannot keep the status quo with a tinker or two and expect people to receive it. People have to be prepared for changed.

In Christianity, we are prepared for the Gospel by the Holy Spirit. He works in our hearts to prepare them and make them ready for His message.

In Society, we are prepared/programmed by those with the power to program us through tv, news, internet, etc. to accept the changes they are making to society.

Matthew 9:18-26 First we begin with the faith of this ruler, his heart was prepared for the miraculous. The Holy Spirit had shown this man that Jesus’ touch could bring his daughter back to life.

Second we move to the faith of the woman, her heart was prepared for the miraculous. The Holy Spirit had shown this woman that touching Jesus’ robe would heal her.

Third we move to the crow, their hearts had not been prepared for the miraculous, but instead for morning by the playing of the flute player. Music has a profound impact on our souls and cannot be dismissed so lightly. They were not expecting the miraculous, but instead scoffed at Jesus.

Where do we find ourselves when we encounter Jesus? Are we prepared by the Holy Spirit to hear, see, and believe or have we been hardened by the circumstances and influences of this life to instead scoff at Him?

Acts 13:35-37 Paul expounds upon Psalm 16:10 to explain that it wasn’t referring to David, but instead to Jesus Christ. We serve a risen and uncorrupted Savior in all means.

Acts 13:38-39 Jesus provides us with forgiveness of sins and frees us from all the bondage of the Law. What a glorious truth we have. His law is higher than Moses.

Acts 13:40-41 & Acts 13:44 & Acts 13:50 So often in this life we face scoffers of many kinds. People who see the great things God has done and yet scoff rather than believe. We will always encounter the scoffers at various levels of authority.

We should never be surprised at either the motivations nor the scope to which these scoffers are willing to go in order to silence the Gospel. Eventually their jealousy will be a motivator driving them toward the Gospel, however, in Paul’s day it was a negative motivation for the Gospel was viewed as a threat.

Acts 13:47-49 Since the Jews in this place rejected the Gospel, Paul offers the Gospel to the Gentiles. The Gentiles rejoiced at the Gospel and it spread throughout the region.

Psalm 22:1-2 Jesus cried this from the cross as He died bearing our sin. Have you ever felt as though God has turned away? Jesus felt the same emotion on the cross. He bore that separation for us.

Psalm 22:3 I love the concept of God’s sitting enthroned in my praise. It makes me want to praise Him more so that He has a worthy throne to sit upon.

Psalm 22:4-8 Jesus is experiencing something that God’s people hadn’t really experienced. He was holy, yet He was not delivered. Jesus was abandoned to the cross for our sins. He was the object of scorn and mockery.

Psalm 22:9-11 Jesus’ entire life belonged to God…birth to death. Jesus desired the nearness of God and so should we. Jesus ushered in the era of righteous suffering that we now share in so we need God in our lives.

Genesis 48:17-19 Jacob knew the lesson of blessing. His father had refused to bless him and he deceived his own father into blessing him. Jacob blessed whom God had blessed. Ephraim would be greater than Manasseh by the decree of God.