Genesis 7:13 - On that very day Noah and his sons, Shem, Ham and Japheth, together with his wife and the wives of his three sons, entered the ark. 

Matthew 24:37-39 - As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.

 Jesus said that the days before the Rapture would be similar to the days of Noah.  It comes on the world unexpectedly, when everyone is still making plans for the future (getting married) and celebrating.  Only Noah and his family knew what was coming; they had the revelation.

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Matthew 24:46 -  ”…It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns.”    

Each week or month that passed brings us closer to our Blessed Hope, the coming of our Lord Jesus.  We feel that we must make the most of the time we have remaining (see Ephesians 5:16).  Time is running out for us to carry out everything the Lord wants us to do, and for those around us to receive the blessing of salvation through Christ.    

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Matthew 8:14-15 - “When Jesus came into Peter’s house, he saw Peter’s mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever. He touched her hand and the fever left her, and she got up and began to wait on him.” 

Jesus wants more than to come into your heart.  He wants to come into your home, to your family, to touch the people closest to you and save them.  When we really put our faith into practice, our family life centers on the Lord, and our family members and loved ones receive His blessings as a result.  Many evangelistic messages today center around the verse in Revelation 3 where Jesus says, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock…”  We are encouraged to open the door and let him in.  Yet this is not just the “door to your heart.”  Too many people treat their faith as a private matter between them and their Lord.  There is certainly a private dimension to our relationship with Christ, but there is also a public component – our integration into the Body, and our application of our faith within our home. continue

They brought him a denarius, and he asked them, “Whose portrait is this?  Whose inscription?”  

“Caesar’s,” they replied.  Then he said to them, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.”  When they heard this, they were amazed.  So they left him and went away. - Matthew 22:20-22

It is interesting that Jesus asks about the coin’s “image” (or “portrait” in some versions) and “inscription.”  It reminds us of the phrase God used when He created man, in His own “image and likeness.”  (Genesis 1:27).  Caesar’s image and likeness was on the coin; God’s image and likeness is on each of us.  We owe taxes to the government officials, who issue money with their images; but we should give God our very selves, surrendering our lives to him, because He made us in HIS image and likeness.  We belong to him.  Nevertheless, religious people like those in this passage tend to put things in the reverse.  They use religion as an excuse to withhold things that belong to the government.  At the same time, they give themselves – their hearts and minds and lives- to this world instead of to God.   continue

“They love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; they love to be greeted in the marketplaces and to have men call them ‘Rabbi.’  But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have only one Master and you are all brothers.  And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven.  Nor are you to be called ‘teacher,’ for you have one Teacher, the Christ.  The greatest among you will be your servant.” - Matthew 23:6-11

Our flesh craves prestige and power.  The Holy Spirit does not accommodate this trait of man.  In the Work of the Holy Spirit, there is a constant struggle to keep our flesh from interfering with the Spirit’s Work, from hurting God’s project.  The Spirit wants to give glory to Jesus and none other.  Our flesh wants at least a little glory for ourselves.  Some people feel a need to be someone “special” – as did the Jewish leaders Jesus describes in the passage above.   continue

Matthew 15:6-9 - Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition. You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you: ’These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.   They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.’ 

What were the religious traditions to which Jesus referred?  They had several main components. continue

Matthew 23:6-11 - “They love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; they love to be greeted in the marketplaces and to have men call them ‘Rabbi.’  But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have only one Master and you are all brothers.  And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven.  Nor are you to be called ‘teacher,’ for you have one Teacher, the Christ.  The greatest among you will be your servant.”

Our flesh craves prestige and power.  The Holy Spirit does not accommodate this trait of man.  In the Work of the Holy Spirit, there is a constant struggle to keep our flesh from interfering with the Spirit’s Work, from hurting God’s project.  The Spirit wants to give glory to Jesus and none other.  Our flesh wants at least a little glory for ourselves.  Some people feel a need to be someone “special” – as did the Jewish leaders Jesus describes in the passage above.   continue

“And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” - Matthew 28:20

Matthew’s gospel closes with these comforting words.  Jesus is not just a historical figure, or someone who lived long ago and purchased our salvation.  He is alive today, and is active in his church and in our lives.  He is alive to lead us and guide us, to heal us and teach us, to provide for us and help us.

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 “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” - Matthew 28:20

Our Lord is not just a historical figure, or someone who lived long ago and purchased our salvation.  He is alive today, and is active in his church and in our lives.  We can see the operation of the Trinity even in this simple, short phrase.  

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“…they brought to Him all who were ill, those suffering with various diseases and pains, demoniacs, epileptics, paralytics; and He healed them.” - Matthew 4:24 (NASB)

Matthew describes the five types of infirmities of people Jesus healed during his ministry on the earth.  These different healings give a deeper understanding of the five-fold ministry in God’s project.  Because Jesus – as our great High Priest – had all five ministries, it is interesting to see how He used each of them in healing people.  The five ministries are listed in Ephesians 4:11.  The Lord appoints apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers, and the doctrine of the ministry is provided in other teachings.  For the sake of understanding the infirmities Jesus healed, it is only necessary to understand the general focus and purpose of each of the five ministries.  

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